Super Harry, To The Rescue!
by Traban16
Summary: After the dragon First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Dumbledore decides that Harry cannot go without the truth of his true origins any longer. This leads Harry to discover that he isn't even HUMAN! He's actually an ALIEN sent to help the humans prepare for their darkest hour. Now as a superhero to Earth, Harry finds out that while saving others is easy, saving himself isn't...
1. You're An Alien, Harry

**Dates of Birth:**

**Harry Potter - July 31, 1980**

**Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman - May 13, 1981**

**I'm going by the **_**Smallville**_** birth-date since I couldn't find any other references to Superman's birthday, and also because this one was surprisingly convenient for my plans with the story. The only change I made was to the year that Clark was born. He's supposed to be born 1987, but I felt that would be too much time in-between his and Harry's birth and arrivals to Earth.**

**Chapter 1: You're An Alien, Harry**

* * *

Harry walked up to the headmaster's office, briefly wondering what could be so important that he had to miss the party all the Gryffindor's were having to celebrate his victory over the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Harry honestly didn't want to be in the competition, but binding magical contracts and all… Ugh…

Reaching the gargoyle statue, the stone creature leapt back at seeing him, revealing the spiral staircase up to the headmaster's office. Harry climbed the staircase in no time, knocking at the office's door before he heard a voice give him permission to enter.

Harry opened the door to see Dumbledore looking through an decorative oriental box that sat atop his headmaster's desk while Harry crossed the length of the office.

"Ah, Harry. I'm glad to see that you've arrived so promptly, my boy." Dumbledore said, taking a glance at the box as he produced what looked like a yellow cough-drop from it and held it up to Harry in offering, "Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"No thank you, sir." Harry declined as he stood in front of the desk nervously, not having any clue why he was called upon so suddenly. He appeared very nervous as well as Dumbledore glanced up at him and saw that the boy was fidgeting with the hem on his champion's robes.

"I think I'll make this quick, then, Harry." Dumbledore said rising from his desk and walking around it, "Your parents entrusted me with a bit of knowledge when they came to me for protection against Voldemort."

Harry felt a numbing cold grow in the pit of his stomach while thinking of all the good protection did his dead parents. Then that cold turned white hot as he thought of Peter Pettigrew, who was still somewhere out there in hiding.

He'd get that traitor if it was the last thing he did.

"Needless to say, that information has stayed secret to only myself and one other in the entire world since your parents' demise." Dumbledore said carefully, though seeing the pained look that crossed Harry's face, he pressed on, "That other person is your Godfather, who is, as you teens say, on the lamb; Sirius Black."

Harry felt his dark thoughts take a lighter turn at the mention of his Godfather. He wondered how Sirius was doing right at that moment.

"The information that I speak of was not to be known to you until you were a bit older, at least your 16th birthday, Harry." Dumbledore stated, peering over the rim of his glasses to impress upon Harry that he was trusting him with the information early. Harry could only imagine why, "However, being entered into his supremely dangerous tournament has changed things quite a bit, and I'd feel much safer if you had every legal advantage at your beck and call."

"Sir… What is this information?" Harry asked, not much liking Dumbledore's dodgy ways.

Dumbledore only chuckled as he walked over to Harry, talking the now equal heighten youth by the shoulder as they moved out of his office.

"Well, your parents wanted you to learn this two years from now, had they still been around, but I feel that with everything that has happened thus far, and with everything that may occur this year…" Dumbledore paused, glancing at Harry, who got the impression that he was to be extra careful with whatever he was about to be told and with the rest of the school year, "… that you should know this now. You have proven yourself capable in times of stress with your taking on the most dangerous of dragons."

"Professor." Harry said, still in the dark about whatever Dumbledore was going to tell him.

"It is rather late." Dumbledore said suddenly, "All students should be in their dormitories and the like. Take a walk with me out to the grounds, Harry."

Harry did as he was asked, walking with Dumbledore out of the castle and onto the grounds as the moon shone bright in the sky above.

"Tell me Harry, what do you think of life on other planets?" Dumbledore asked as Harry blinked in confusion, wondering where the sudden topic came from.

"I don't know, sir. I never gave it much thought." Harry said honestly as Dumbledore.

"Quite right, my boy. We never give such matters any true attention. However, long ago there was a planet called Krypton. It had a Red sun which had exploded, also causing Krypton to explode."

"Umm…" Harry trailed, now completely lost. Krypton? Planets? Red Suns? Exploding? What did any of that have to do with him?

"You see, Harry, there is a green rock called Kryptonite, which was produced from the material of Krypton when the planet was destroyed in an explosion. Years later pieces had had traveled through space, causing meteor showers on Earth, though primarily in America." Dumbledore said calmly, looking up at the stars as Harry did so as well.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, still deeply confused.

"Harry, not only were those meteor shower in America, specifically the small town of Smallville in Kansas," Dumbledore said, gazing at Harry with bemusement in his tone, "But also here in Britain. Along were there, and please excuse my blatant language, rocks raining down from the skies, but also… three ships as well."

"Are you saying… that alien spacecrafts landed here? On Earth?" Harry asked, his head spinning at what Dumbledore was implying. It barking mad!

"Yes." Dumbledore said simply, not elaborating any further.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what does any of that got to do with me?" Harry asked, dreading what he knew in the back of his mind was the entire point of their conversation.

"Tell me Harry, where is the necklace your parents left to you?" Dumbledore asked, glancing at Harry before returning his gaze to the stars.

"My locket? I have it here." Harry said softly, reaching within his shirt and showing a golden locket. Harry opened it, showing a very small photo of his parents with his own baby self in their arms on one side, and on the other side was a tiny peace of green stone, "I got it from the goblins on my first trip to Gringotts along with a note. I never… I never take it off…"

"I'm sure that was what your parents said in their note." Dumbledore said, "Do you mind?" Dumbledore asked, holding out a hand as Harry very reluctantly handed over the locket from around his neck.

"It has a very beautiful glow, doesn't it?" Dumbledore asked as he held it up. In the cold night air, it was easy to see the green stone glowing while Dumbledore held it up in the palm of his pale hand, "Very peculiar, isn't it? That it would glow, I mean. No natural stone, gem, or jewel does so."

"Is it… ya know, some of the meteor you were talking about?" Harry asked, swallowing back the lump in his throat, "The ones from the exploded planet… Krypton, you said it was."

"Yes, Harry, I believe so." Dumbledore answered lightly as he and Harry stood on the cool grass of the Hogwarts grounds. Dumbledore lifted his gaze up from the gold locket to see Harry's confused and slightly terrified gaze on him, "Do you know why it glows like it does?"

"No, sir…" Harry said, never having truly questioned the glowing before in the many nights he had stayed up gazing at the locket with the only light being the glow from the green stone while he looked upon the small moving picture of his happy parents with infant him. rather surprised he didn't realized that it was glowing before.

"It glows because of you, my boy." Dumbledore answered softly as he and Harry's gaze met.

"Wh-What? Wait… Hu-… How is that possible? That can't be possible." Harry stammered out in disbelief.

"It is possible." Dumbledore said smoothly and calmly with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "Though, I think it best that your parents explain everything to you."

"But my parents are dead, sir." Harry said flatly, not wanting to get his hopes of for some magical way of getting them back. He had resolved last year while training to create his Patronus that his parents were dead and nothing would bring them back. Then, Harry quickly tacked on, "Unless there is a letter or something, sir." knowing that Dumbledore was not implying that his parents would actually rise from the dead.

Dumbledore gave Harry a searching look before sighing, still holding Harry's locket.

"Yes Harry, both your parents are dead. However, as you might have figured out from your first visit to Gringotts when you acquired this locket, they long since had their affairs in order should anything have happened to them like what came to past those 14 years ago. Those preparations include having planned out how you would come to understand who you truly are." Dumbledore said, handing Harry back his locket as well as a key.

"Sir, what is this for?" Harry asked as he placed his locket back around his neck and stuffed it deep into his shirt before eyeing they key in his palm.

"It is for a vault at Gringotts; your _family_ vault, to be precise." Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry as Harry's eyes widened in surprise, "I trust that you can keep a close eye on that key, yes?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, sir. Thank you." Harry said quickly, glancing back down at the tiny gold key in his hand before he shoved it quickly into his pocket, "Umm… sir?"

"I suspect that you'd like to know more now, Harry." Dumbledore said more than asked, tilting his head slightly as Harry saw the twinkle in his eyes, "I also suspect that you've already figured out what this all has to do with you as well without my coming out and stating it plainly."

"Yes, sir…" Harry answered softly, though under the surface he was near bursting with a vague sense of excitement. What could his parents have left in another vault? Would there be more pictures? Perhaps even self-portraits of them so he could talk to them like the old Headmasters of Hogwarts in Dumbledore's office, "Can we go, sir?"

"I'm quite sure it can be arranged." Dumbledore said softly, taking out a pocket watch before giving it a quick glance, "Are you sure you would like to be out so late, Harry? I understand that there was a party in the Gryffindor dorm held in your honor."

"Sir," Harry began, grinning as he looked at Dumbledore, "I'd miss a hundred parties for something like this."

Dumbledore chuckled as he glanced across the grounds before offering his arm to Harry, "Then let us be off. Take my arm, Harry."

"Alright." Harry said, taking the offered arm.

"And a word to the wise, Harry," Dumbledore began, "You might want to take a deep breath and prepare for some discomfort. I don't believe you've ever Apparated before, and if so, then never over such a long distance."

"Apparate?" Harry echoed in confusion as Dumbledore simply nodded. Harry could see that whatever it was, it was going to happen soon, so he took in his deep breath and screwed his eyes shut tightly.

Then came the uncomfortable sensation, like he was being forced through a too tight rubber tube. Harry wasn't sure whether it had lasted hours or seconds, but when it was gone, he was glad none the less. The whole experience made him feel sick, hacking up whatever spit he had in his empty system as his gaze lifted from the ground to the towering marble white building of the Wizarding Bank of Gringotts.

"I confess myself impressed, Harry." Dumbledore said as he stood calmly at Harry's side, "Most people completely throw-up their first time Apparating."

"I've got nothing to throw-up, sir." Harry said, wiping the sides of his mouth with the inside of his sleeve.

"So it seems." Dumbledore said, amusement clear in his tone, "Shall we?" and with that, Harry stood to his feet and followed Dumbledore as they climbed the stairs inside the intimidating building of Gringotts.

* * *

Inside the building, the two wizards walked up politely to a goblin, who glanced up at seeing them and set aside the jewels he was looking over to help them.

"Welcome to Gringotts." the goblin said, "How may I help you?"

"Harry." Dumbledore said, gesturing for the boy to step forward. Harry blinked before doing so, figuring that Dumbledore would take the lead in it all while he simply followed along like a children with their grandparent.

"Umm… Good evening." Harry began awkwardly while trying to be polite, "Umm… I'd like to see my family vault, if you don't mind." Harry said as Dumbledore nodded in approval and the goblin raised a brow, but nodded as well, though in acceptance to Harry's request.

"And do you have your key, Mr…? Mr…?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm Harry, Harry Potter. You can call me Harry, though." Harry said quickly, rubbing down his bang over his scar. He felt so nervous talking to the goblin. Every other time he had ever come into Gringotts, an adult had come to do the talking, but here Dumbledore was letting him fidget and sputter, and make a fool of himself while the goblin was giving him peculiar looks, like he was a strange animal the goblin had never seen before.

"Fine then… Mr. Potter." the goblin said, his tone less biting now that Harry was paying attention, "Do you have your key."

"Oh, right!" Harry said, digging into his pocket and producing said key. He handed it to the goblin, who held it up to the light and inspected it as though it were a jewel on his desk.

"Very well, then. Everything seems to be in order. I'll get another goblin to escort you to your vault. Griphook!" the goblin said, before shouting for another goblin, one that Harry recognized by both appearance and name from his first time in Gringotts.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. It has been a while." Griphook said as he bowed to Harry and Dumbledore before they all started to walk towards the carts.

"It's nice to see you again, Griphook." Harry said as Griphook looked up curiously at him, "You were one of the first goblins I ever met."

"And for your sake, Mr. Potter," Griphook said, giving Harry a nasty grin when a cart finally came, "You had best wish that I am not the last."

Harry shivered as the goblin's gaze lingered on him before they all climbed into the cart and off they went.

One long cart ride later, Harry, Dumbledore, and Griphook stood on the platform in front of the Potter Family Vault.

"Here we are, Vault #704, otherwise known as the Potter Vault." Griphook said professionally as he gestured toward the door of the vault, "Your key, please."

Harry silently handed over the key as Griphook took it and walked over to the door. Taking the key, he pressed it's tip to the door, which formed a keyhole and allowed the goblin to turn it. Doing so made a bunch of unhinging sounds, as though there were many locks behind the door. Griphook turned back to look up at Harry.

"Press your hand to the door, Mr. Potter." the goblin instructed as Harry grew nervous. With Griphook's slightly vicious nature, and the fact that the last time he was with Griphook only a goblin could touch a vault door less the person be trapped within the door for ten years, it all made Harry slightly wary of the goblin.

But, Harry did as he was told, placing the palm of his hand flat against the door. There was a jolt when he touched it, and then he saw that Griphook, too, had his palm to the door before it slowly creaked open, swinging inward.

* * *

Harry was more than a little surprised by what was inside the vault when it opened. The door had swung open inwardly to a near cave-like opening. Though it was immensely tidy, it was still more of a clean-crammed. From floor to ceiling there were golden coins and goblets, silver armor, the skins and pelts of mighty, rare, and strange creatures. Some with long spines, others with drooping wings. Harry shuttered as he gazed deeper into the vault, seeing potions in jeweled flasks, lavish furniture, and… was that a skull still wearing a crown?

Harry stepped into the vault, but turned around in confusion when he saw that neither Griphook nor Dumbledore were following.

"I'll be waiting here, my boy." Dumbledore said, sitting on the cart like a patient kid, "Merely call out if you have need of me. Oh, and another word to the wise: some things, which look out of place even for wizards, is exactly what you are in need of. Do you understand, Harry?"

"I think I do, sir." Harry said, slowly getting better at deciphering Dumbledore's many strange riddles.

Harry took a deep breath to steel his nerves as he stepped further into the vault. Steeping around the literal mounds of gold, Harry focused his search on what could possibly look unusual for even wizards. Disregarding the wealth for another day, Harry nearly bumped into a suit of armor while looking around.

Regaining his balance from trying to not knock over anything, Harry looked up to find a strange sight. Dumbledore had been right, it did look strange, even by wizard standards. It wasn't that it was a bad strange, but unlike everything else in the vault, this… thing didn't look like any of the magical artifacts which surrounded it. In fact, as Harry peered at the thing, it looked to be large and… metal? Approaching it cautiously, Harry got a better look at the thing, finding it to resemble a spaceship he had once seen on Sci-Fi television at the Dursleys. This thing looked highly technological, like it had been popped out from a Science Fiction show. It truly was out of place, for both normal people and wizards.

Harry ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the cold metal, moving around it to see and admire it's design from all angles when suddenly a diamond-shaped symbol with what appeared to be either an eight or "S" carved on the surface sprang up. To Harry, for some unearthly reason he could not explain, the symbol looked strangely familiar. As though he had gazed upon it long ago in his early life. Then Harry's mind flashed with images and sounds. Green light, high cold laughter, a mother's final kiss to his forehead twice, and… the light of the yellow sun…

He shook his head as he backed away from the ship, accidentally bumping into a desk that sat behind him. Harry turned to the desk, hoping it would prove good distraction for a few seconds when his vision spied something curious.

It was a letter atop the desk. Truly it was a letter, because it written neatly and addressed to… him? Yes it was for him, Harry spied his name on the envelope, and was deeply elated to find that was from his parents. Harry opened the envelope carefully, not wanting to damage one of the few and very precious letters from his parents. Opening the envelope, Harry found a letter along with a piece of smooth, thin metal in the shape of a hexagon.

Setting the hexagon to the side, Harry unfolded the letter and began to read it.

* * *

_Dear Harry__,_

_Son, we have something to tell you. Something big! It is a rather large secret, yet kept by very few. No one besides we, Petunia Dursley (your Aunt, in case you've never met her), and Albus Dumbledore know of it. Not your grandparents, Sirius, or even Remus know this closely guarded secret. We would have liked to tell you this ourselves, but if you're reading it from this message, then we did not escape the Dark Lord Voldemort, and are no longer amongst the living. At first we would have liked to keep the secret, and take it with us to our graves, but… That would not have been fair to you, and we deemed it far too important for you to stay ignorant of__._

Harry frowned, wondering just what was this oh so big secret. Was it truly all that important? He reasoned that it had to be if no one knew about it except for his parents, Dumbledore, and Aunt Petunia of all people. However, Dumbledore had said that Sirius knew, so that meant that Dumbledore must have told Sirius at some point over the summer.

_You see, Harry, in the late summer of 1980, your father and I were living in Potter manor, which happens to be a cozy cottage in Godric's Hollow if you've never heard of it. It's yours now, along with everything else belonging to us and our families. The point is, that while living there in the cottage, there was a sudden meteor show all over the world. The side of our cottage was struck by one of those meteors… or so we thought_.

_We sat in the living room during the time, debating on whether or not we wanted to have children like my sister Petunia had. Then we saw a flare of light and a crash shook the house. We had hopped up quickly, remembering that the Ministry's Department of Astronomic Activities had reported to be on guard for a meteor shower. Luckily, we had taken to caution ever since dealing with Voldemort, and guarded the house with a few Cushioning Charms and Bubble Wards, so when the house was struck by what we thought was a meteor, it did nothing but bounce off the house and land with a crash in the garden. We had raced into the garden, seeing the smoking rocks from a window, and went to investigate_.

_At the time, Godric's Hollow had only three other wizarding residents in the area, and they were all elderly scholars that had taken to a life of book writing and classical music. When we got into the garden, you could perhaps imagine our surprise when we heard the cries of a baby from inside the thing which landed in our yard. We were even more surprised when upon closer inspection, we saw that it was a spaceship! A real life spaceship! Just like all the books we read for fun as children! We did our best to open the ship, from where the child's cries were coming, but none of our spells worked to open it. It was a bit discouraging when we later found that all it took was our hand being placed in just the right spot to have the ship open for us. It was just one surprise after another from then on_.

_We were shocked to find a baby boy inside the ship, as naked as one was born! The boy wailed and flailed as we tried to comfort him, but another shock to our systems came when James was nearly knocked off his feet and had his arm bruised by the baby's flailing arms. It seemed the little guy had incredible strength! After we managed to calm the child with a hastily conjured bottle of warm milk, we decided to investigate the ship before of us in order to figure out just where this boy had come from__._

_The problem was, despite all looks, that baby boy… was not human. _

Harry's hands shook slightly as he read on. His dread settling and spreading deep within the pit of his stomach.

_When we looked inside the small spaceship, there was a small metal ball inside , which displayed a visual as clear as any pensive memory reading. This "hologram" as the visual called itself was of a man. However, the thing had only activated when the boy had touched the ball. According to the man in hologram, his name was Han-Re and the boy from the spacecraft was his son, Har-Re. The man said that the baby was from the now dead world of Krypton! Indeed, the child was an alien baby! It was hard to believe that there was actually life in other galaxies, but it seemed to be the truth_!

Harry sucked in an unsteady breath as he read on, practically forcing himself to as he did. He had to know…

_From what we learned from the hologram of Han-Re, a cast-out from the House of El, he had stolen and copied his brother, Jor-El's, plans for a ship that was past down to them from their father, Jor-El the First. The man had a child of his own, and wished to save his child's life. When he was discovered having stolen the plans and copied them, he fled with his child and went into hiding to build the ship. The father, Han-El or Han-Re, spied on his brother had, without permission, stolen more secrets from his father's data and then sent his son, Har-El or Har-Re, to Earth. Han-Re had learned from his father's data that Jor-El the First had been researching planets to send children to should their own planet be destroyed as he predicted, and Jor-El the First's research showed that Earth had humans, who had the same body structure as the people of Krypton, so Har-Re could blend in. The man said that his brother, Jor-El the Second, had sent his own son ahead of him, but along a different path that would meet less troubles. We didn't know where this "Kal-El" child landed, but we hope he found a loving home of his own. We did, however, here about showers in American state, Kansas_.

Harry blinked back tears as he paused in his reading.

_That's right, Harry, because alien or not; we wanted to take care of the little boy with his tuff of black hair and his adorable eyes. You were the adorable little boy we found in that ship which landed directly in our garden. You were as normal as any muggle baby could be. In fact, we thought you a blessing from beyond as we didn't really have to change a thing about you to claim you as our own blood. You looked exactly like James, with your tuff of messy black hair, the smile, everything except for the eyes. While James eyes were hazel and mine were emerald green, your own eyes were as blue as sapphires. We wanted you so badly, Harry. You were exactly what we had wanted! We just had to adopted you, or more specifically; magically adopt. We had to adopt you, because by now I'm sure you've seen the Ministry's views and tactics on anything remotely different from the average wizard, let alone an alien super-baby. Through your veins flows our blood, claiming you as our child and giving you you're magical abilities, however, you are still Kryptonian and possess awesome abilities of your own from your birth-race as well. When we adopted you, we stored everything from your origins into the spaceship, and moved it to our vault in Gringotts through Shrinking and Resizing charms. Once everything was said and done, you looked even more like James and had his piss-poor eyesight, but you had my eyes. You looked like an amazing gift from the Heavens, which metaphorically speaking; you were_!

Harry paused as the tears rolled down his face. He was an alien, and yet… they had loved him like he was truly their own son. He guessed he was as he looked down at his wrist. Because after all, their blood flowed through him now…

_You were such a special child. As we revealed you to the others, naming Sirius Black your Godfather, we had to take precautions with you as a very young child. You already had super strength, at least from what we observed when you punched through a wall after we took away your toy broom. There were other things you did as well, even unheard of by witches and wizards. You were capable of a lot of things, like running really fast and when you glared you could either see into the next room over or burn things with beams of heat from your eyes_.

Harry blinked at that as he rubbed at his scar. Superpowers? Beams of heat from his eyes?

_That is why you have the gem in your locket. We found that some stones, like the one in your locket (which we hope you still wear to this day) only glow when near you. We discovered that you were vulnerable to the green stone that we found on the ship. The stone at first gave you a fever after a week, and it made you weak, even to the point where your powers faded to near human-levels. After figuring out this information, we whittled a piece of the rock down and placed it into your locket so your powers would be hidden. After prolonged exposure to the very small piece in your locket, you're powers stopped showing altogether. If you've gotten it, and have read the note to it, then you should know that we gave it to you so you didn't accidentally hurt anyone. We thought it best_.

He had always wondered why he felt different after he had put on the locket before his first year at Hogwarts. Before the stone, he could out run Dudley and his gang by a mile, however, after he returned with the locket, he found that could barely shake them off his trail.

_We're telling you this now, because we felt that you were old enough to understand our decision to perform the adoption, what it meant, and what you truly are. We didn't know what this would make you, a combination between an alien and a wizard, but we didn't care at the time. We can only hope you will one day be able to forgive us for our haste_.

"I could never be mad with you…" Harry mutter as he used the back of his sleeve to wipe away his brimming tears, "Never…"

_We love you, Harry. There were no misgivings with you: you were our son, and we loved you with all our hearts_.

_Signed - You're Parents,_

_James and Lily Potter_

* * *

Harry sat on the edge of the desk, feeling like he had sunk to the floor as his legs were weak and he didn't think he could stand under his own power. He was an alien of some kind… but, he had been so loved by them. He knew now that he wasn't even human, and yet, they had loved him like he was their birth son. He was Har-Re, but Harry James Potter. He had powers. Harry gazed down at his shirt, where under it was his locket, which restricted his powers due to the green stone within it.

Harry took a deep breath as he pushed off the desk. There was no time to just stand around and cry when Dumbledore and Griphook were waiting back at the entrance for him.

No, he could cry when he got back to his bed and silenced the curtains so he wouldn't wake anyone.

Harry's emerald eyes were transfixed on the spaceship, the very one that… brought him to Earth. He could hardly believe it. He wasn't human, and had been _sent_ to Earth! But, why?

Then he recalled what Dumbledore had said on the grounds of Hogwarts.

"… _long ago there was a planet called Krypton. It had a Red sun which had exploded, also causing Krypton to explode_…" Dumbledore's voice rang in his head as Harry gazed fixedly at the spaceship. Was that it? He and the other boy, Kal-El, his… cousin… they were sent to Earth because their parents had known the planet would explode?

But if so, then why hadn't anyone else been sent? Or maybe… maybe others had! Maybe he had even more family on Earth than his birth father and his brother would have thought. Maybe they weren't the only ones to build rockets and ship babies to foreign planets.

Harry glanced back at the desk when his fingers brushed against the thin metal plate. Glancing at the ship, Harry saw that there was in fact a tiny slit which looked to be a better fit for the disc. Harry put the metal plate into the slit, waiting for something to happen when the spacecraft suddenly hissed, and opened it's lid. Harry didn't know what he had been expecting to see, but he gasped none the less when he saw the interior of the spaceship.

Looking inside the ship, Harry was finally able to dispel any part of him that had been in complete denial of what he had read from his parents. This spaceship, one fit for a toddler, was undeniable proof that every word of the letter had been true.

Harry ran his finger over the soft interior of the ship, where he must have been placed by his birth father and then found by his parents. It looked very comfortable, at least for a baby. His gaze and touch lingered on the soft purple interior before his fingers brushed something smooth, cold, and metal. He glanced up to where his fingers had wondered to see what must have been the metal ball that his parents had mentioned in their letter, the ball from Han-Re. Harry looked around, knowing that he had no time to see if the ball worked as he didn't want to keep Professor Dumbledore and Griphook waiting much longer.

After going through a few things to find something he could carry the ball in, Harry finally found a bag, which he dropped the ball into without a word. Though he was a bit surprised when he didn't feel he ball or see it's shape in the bottom of the bag. However, he vaguely recalled Hermione taking about bottomless bags, and how she wanted one for her books, so he figured it was that. Taking some gold and his letter, along with a few other things, Harry made his way out of the vault to see Griphook and Dumbledore conversing over political between wizards and goblins, and Griphook didn't look too pleased about whatever the conversation ended on.

"I'm ready to go back now, sir." Harry said, his voice emotionally weaker than he thought it would be. Dumbledore eyed the bag he had clutched in his hand.

"Did you get everything you would need?" Dumbledore asked as Harry nodded, figuring the ship could stay where only he could get to it.

"Yes, sir." Harry said, getting onto the cart, "And, sir… Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, Harry, but I don't believe I've done anything to warrant gratitude." Dumbledore said with a wink as Harry cracked a small smile.

Dumbledore and Griphook got proper onto the cart with the sadistic goblin rushing them back up to the lobby in record time. Once there Harry, Dumbledore, and Griphook filed off the cart and watched it go to where another customer must have needed it.

* * *

When Harry entered the common room, it was empty, the party cleaned and gone while he sighed in both relief for not being questioned about his bag, and somewhat saddened that he hadn't gotten to attend his own party.

"But what I did instead was so much better." Harry thought as he patted his locket beneath his shirt while walking up to the Gryffindor boys' dorm room.

Harry made his way to his bed, shutting and silencing the curtains around his bed as he took out the metal ball from the bag, feeling it a bit strange when he had to reach his arm deep within the tiny pouch. Harry stared at the ball, wondering how it would work before it started to glow in his hands, revealing a globe of the Earth before it was changed into a red planet.

Though that wasn't nearly as surprising when Harry started to hear a voice in his head and information being sent into his brain!

**This was the planet Krypton. It was destroyed. Jor-El the First calculated the destruction of the planet and how to build a ship for a survivor should his calculations be correct. He handed this information down to his first-born son, Jor-El the Second, who with his wife, Lara, were unable to convince the other Kryptonians of the danger.**

**However, Han-El, one of the two of Jor-El the Second's younger brothers, did believe his brother, and sought to protect his own son from the danger. In secret, Han-El stole his father's plans from both his father while Jor-El the First was still among the living, and then again when Jor-El the Second was beginning to construct a ship. When Han-El had finished the painstaking construction of the ship in banishment from the House of El, he immediately sent his son to Earth.**

**Jor-El the Second didn't wish to send his own off to Earth until he was sure the worst had come to past, choosing only then with a heavy heart to send his own son, Kal-El, to Earth. Due to the time difference between Earth and Krypton, while both sent only a few Kryptonian months, it would be almost an entire Earth year before Kal-El reached the planet when Har-El had already landed.**

So it was true, his birth-father had sent him to Earth right away to ensure his survival. Harry's eyes were brimmed with tears as he allowed them to roll down his cheeks freely. But that made him think about where Kal-El could possibly be. He remembered the letter saying that Kansas had been hit by meteor showers, too, so he could allows start looking there. It would be an excuse not to go back to Dursleys.

Harry was so wrapped in his gleeful thoughts of finding his space-cousin and getting away from his spoiled one, that he gasped as he looked around, finding himself sitting in the dark with lots of tiny small white spats scattered all around. It looked like… Was it supposed to be space? Why was he sitting in space?

Just then, another hologram appeared above the globe.

"**My son**… **Har-Re**." the hologram said in a deeply calm tone as Harry felt himself crying for what must have been the third time in the day. This man, this tall man with graying black hair and deep blue eyes must have been his father. He wore white robes with a black version of the symbol Harry had seen on his spaceship, "**I am your father, Han-Re, disgraced younger brother of Jor-El II and elder brother of Zor-El**. **I am, or now rather **_**was**_**, one of Krypton's greatest scientist minds of the time**."

"Father…" Harry said, feeling that he could call the man nothing else.

"**I believe you have many questions, am I correct in assuming so**?" Han-Re asked shortly, his hands behind his back and his chin held high in pride.

"Yes, I do." Harry said, being equally as short.

"**So speak them, my son**." Han-Re said, offering a very small smile for a moment before going back to the slightly imposing stance he took.

"Who am I?" Harry asked curiously, trying to see if the hologram would truly answer him.

"**You are Har-Re, my son. You are one of the only survivors of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, I'm sure you are award of, but you have most likely only discovered some**." Han-Re said automatically.

"Why have I been brought here to Earth? Why not others along with me?" Harry asked, letting go of the metal orb so that it would drop to the bed, but was surprised when it began to levitate in the air when it felt his fingers.

"**I brought you here to Earth so you could live a life. I cared of no one, but you at the time. Also, I believe you have a destiny to fulfill on Earth**."

Harry only stared at him. Destiny? Was it something like what Dumbledore had been hinting at over the years? Some great connection between him and Voldemort?

Probably not…

"Why did you send me to live here on Earth? Why not one of the other planets? If Krypton had people on it, then there had to be dozens of other planets out there with life." Harry said as Han-Re didn't seem phased by the question. Then again, he was only a hologram…

"As I have stated before: you have a destiny to fulfill on Earth. Also, there were very few other planets which housed beings even remotely like us. Not to mention the fact that I wanted you to use the power you obtained from the yellow sun of Earth's system in order to restore honor to the House of El due to my disgrace, and to bring greatness to our new house: the House of Re. Living as a human with far superior powers to the actual humans, this would be quite easily accomplished." Han-Re said casually, as though he were talking about the weather.

"But I'm not even human." Harry argued, "And why use me to erase your disgrace. Krypton is gone now, it doesn't matter." Harry said as Han-Re finally looked down at him, directly in Harry's eyes. Harry hadn't even realized the man was not looking at him until they locked gazes and Han-Re's glaringly cold blue eyes burned into his own emerald green orbs.

"**You have lived amongst the humans for at least 12 full Earth years now. You should know by now how to act amongst them. And though Krypton may be gone, there could always be a multitude of survivors on Earth just as you and Kal-El are here. I will not, even as this vague echo of myself, have them remember the House of El in disgrace. Nor will you have them believe the new Noble House of Re to be one of such either**." Han-Re said fiercely, but then he smiled softly down at Harry, "**You are my son, and I know you shall make me proud**."

Harry wanted to curl up and die. Here was his father, who was dead, scolding him one minute and then claiming pride in him the next. His dead father. He was talking to his dead father from an orb that displayed holograms like a projector. Just how weird was that, aside from the fact that he was an alien made to live among humans?

"I guess my relatives were right… I am a freak…" Harry muttered to himself, brining his chin to rest on his knees as he brought them up against his chest.

"**You are no abomination**!" Han-Re said passionately, "**You are my son, and you… should take pride in your- _our_ Kryptonian race**."

"What is my destiny, father?" Harry asked, not wanting to stay on the subject of him being more different than he already was with being a wizard and the Boy-Who-Lived.

"That, Har-Re, is something you must discover for yourself." Han-Re said, smiling lightly down at Harry, who sighed and flopped back on his bed.

Why was it that everyone had to be vague or just outright refuse to tell him what was going on with his life.

"Father, it's late, and-" but Harry was silenced by a raised hand.

"**Say no more, my son. This orb will deactivate with a mere thought from you. When deactivated, the orb will place you in a deep slumber. When you awaken, you will know all that I did of Krypton's language, civilization, sciences, and culture**."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously as Han-Re's eyebrow twitched, apparently not wanting to be questioned.

"**Because,** **you have to know about your proud Kryptonian heritage**. **And no "buts" about it**." Han-Re said, wagging a stern finger at Harry, "**Also, I know that you have not yet located Kal-El, so do so at the first chance you are presented**."

"Alright." Harry said with a nod, having already planned to just that.

"**One more thing, Har-Re. Always hold the pride of your heritage within your heart. As my brother would say, the humans can be a great people, if they wish to be. They only lack the light to find the way. For this reason, barring only one other reason, is why I have sent them you, my only begotten son, Har-Re. Until you call upon my council another day, Har-Re… my son**…" Han-Re said with a kind look in his eyes before the holograms faded and the orb dropped onto the bed. Harry quickly scoped it up and put it into his bottomless bag.

As he dropped the pouch next to his pillow, Harry grabbed at his head as it began to thump feverishly. He felt heat course through him as his body thrashed. But then, as quickly as it came, it disappeared, leaving Harry to catch his breath while he sat up in bed.

Then fell back down onto it as darkness collapsed over his vision. Before his mind's eye, Harry dreamed of years of civilization and knowledge. It was so much to take in, so much flashing before his mind like nothing he had ever experienced before.

* * *

Harry awoke groggily, a ray of sunlight hitting his face as he rose. Then, remembering the events of last night, hurriedly snapped his eyes open and sat forward in bed. To be sure he wasn't just dreaming or just crazy, Harry reached beside his pillow and grabbed the pouch.

"So it was real…" Harry muttered to himself as he held his pouch up to the light.

Harry glanced over to where the light was coming from and found that his curtains were somewhat open, allowing a direct beam of sunlight to come through.

"Though it's winter, and it should be much colder with very little sunlight." Harry mused intelligently as he got out of bed with the pouch still in hand.

Harry felt light on his feet as he went to the foot of his bed and opened his trunk. He dropped the bottomless pouch into the trunk next to his Golden Egg from the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He still needed to figure that out, but for some reason, he didn't see it as a difficult problem as he had the night before when he opened it to only hear was high-pitched screeches.

Harry didn't know why he felt so great, but all that mattered to him at the moment was that he did. Harry yawned while stretching when he rose to full height. He walked to the boys' washroom door, musing over what he needed to do to figure out the riddle of the Golden egg. He dimly noticed that he was, in fact, the first to awaken from their sleep as all of his dorm mates slept peacefully and, at least in everyone but Ron's case; quietly.

"Well, I guess the early bird catches the worm, or in this case, gets the best hot water shower." Harry said to himself with a chuckle as he stepped into the bathroom, the door having already been open.

Steeping out of the shower, Harry toweled off and put on his clothes on while still feeling… just so… wow! He didn't know how to describe it. It was like he was breathing in fresh air for the first time!

However, when he stepped to his bedside nightstand for his glasses, having forgotten them, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy and nauseas. Glancing down, Harry saw the problem.

It was his locket. The thing that was making him a bit peaky was the green rock. He now knew, for some odd reason, that the little piece inside the locket was a piece of his home-world, Krypton, and that it carried radiation which was basically poisonous to him in larger pieces and prolonged contact. Taking up the locket, and feeling weaker for it, Harry quickly went to his trunk and buried the thing deep within the bottom of it under the creature-skin coat Hagrid had given him some years ago.

"I think it's time to start anew." Harry said to himself, smirking as he did, "Time to start taking on a little more in life. First thing, the library!"


	2. It's An Owl, It's A Broom, It's…!

**I'm not sure if I explained it well enough in the last**

**Chapter 2: It's An Owl, It's A Broom, It's…!**

* * *

"Okay gentlemen, lets get to work." a man said as his car pulled up outside of a London bank.

Eddie Thorton cracked his neck from side to side and rolled his shoulders as he got out of the car. His four accomplices seemed to stretch as well as Thorton reached back into the passenger seat of the car and got out a vintage Tommy-Gun. He shrugged as he gazed down at it. It was a bit ol' fashion, true, but it had served him and his crime-orientated family well for many years. So, with that in mind, Thorton pointed his gun at the clear glass-doors of the bank.

"Alright, men." Thorton said to his fellows, "You know the drill."

The entire mob pointed their guns at the doors and shot it, shattering the glass and making those inside fall to the ground in an effort to not be shot or cut by any of the glass.

Thorton was the first in, running through the shot-out doors and jumping onto the teller's counter as his boys raced in with laughter at their boss's near kid-like excitement in their job. Quickly, the robbers had everyone hostage, cowering beneath them at gun-point.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce ourselves since we've sorta spoiled your evening here." Thorton began said he pointed his Tommy-Gun at himself, "I'm Eddie Thorton, the ring-leader of this little show. Over there setting the charges is Joey. Over here with his gun pointed at the lovely little family is Jimmy. Here with his gun in the beautiful face of our teller friend here is Johnny. And over there watching for the proper authorities is Jacky."

"Charges set, Boss." Joey said with a thumbs-up as he backed away from the door while it exploded. Rushing through the smoke and alarms with the empty bags, Thorton watched as Joey, Jimmy, and Johnny took care to get cash and expensive jewelry first. God, did he love his boys.

"Now I understand this is quite the stressful event, but so long as everyone reminds calm and pleasant, we'll be in and out in a hurry with no one getting so much as a scratch." Thorton said before he sat on the counter and turned to the very pretty teller girl, "Now ma'am, would you be so kind as to open that register and fill this here bag with all the cash in from it."

The teller looked as though she wanted to do anything but that, but with the machine gun pointed to her face, she realized that he would get the money whether she lived or died. It would be better for her to keep her life, help the other hostages stay calm, and just give a report to the police later.

So, with the teller girl reached pressed the release button and started putting cash into the bags while Thorton looked down at her with a suave smile.

"Thank you, beautiful." Thorton said as he took her hand from one of the bags and kissed it, "Would you be so kind as to grant me your name?"

"L-Lillian…" the girl, Lillian, said as her eyes were wide with fear.

"Well, Lillian," Thorton began slowly, "with are you working for this bank? Hoping to get by paycheck to paycheck? Come with me and you'll never have to work another day in your life."

"Oh n-no thank you." Lillian declined gently, with her hands up in a show of weakness, "I like w-working here. My father worked here, and I think I'll s-stay."

"Oh, that's too bad." Thorton said, and sounded truly sincere until he got out a smaller gun from his pocket and cocked it, "Because I really wasn't giving you much of an actual choice in your future."

"O-Okay…" Lillian said, hoping the police would arrive at any minute. Perhaps if she distracted them long enough, "Umm… where are we going?"

"Scotland." Thorton answered with a listless sigh of peace, "Beautiful place, Scotland. Roving hills, green grass, majestic landscape. You'll love it. Well, that is until we get to America, then you'll love that. And then Japan… And then Egypt… And then back here for a year to revisit how we met."

"Oh… A-Aren't you the romantic…" Lillian said, beginning to sweat in fear instead of crying like she wanted.

"Yes," Thorton said, leaning into Lillian as he whispered in her ear, "I'm also quite… the lover."

Lillian shivered as tears really did begin to fall after that. This was it. Her life of peace and virginity ended… on December 21... Only four days before Christmas with her boyfriend! She was going to finally give herself over to him! It wasn't fair!

Thorton watched as the beautiful face was marred with tears of despair and repressed a sigh. Why couldn't the ladies love him? Oh well, at least she'd make a good bedmate until he found another girl. Thorton glanced off to see Jimmy and Joey running across the floor with their bags filled and loading them into the car.

"All loaded up and not a copper in sight, Boss." Jacky said with a chuckle as Thorton smiled.

"Done good boys. Ya done good." Thorton said as he helped Lillian from behind the counter as she sobbed quietly all the way toward the doors, "Now no one try to be a hero here, or else the oh so lovely Miss Lillian here will be taking that classic Christmas sleigh ride straight to Hell, got it?"

* * *

"Now now." a voice began as Thorton looked to the doors he was just about to cross as a shadowy figure dropped into view in the evening light, "My Godfather always said that the ladies loved a bad boy, but Miss Lillian, I think you can do _so_ much better."

"Who's this wise guy?" Thorton asked as he observed how said wise guy was simply floating in the air right outside the door.

"Me?" the floater asked as he hovered into the light of the bank. His hair was a sexy -jet-black mess. His eyes were an unearthly emerald green. His smile was unnaturally white and his teeth inhumanly straight. His scarlet and gold hero costume clung tightly to his figure, showing just how fit he was as his red cape billowed behind. The symbol on his broad and tone chest was a rather unusual one as well. It was a scarlet capital letter "B" or even the number "8" trapped within a black diamond with a golden outline, "I'm just your average friendly neighborhood Starkid… or Starboy… or Brilliant Boy… you know what, for now let's just go with Starkid."

"Well, Starkid, you're disturbing the peace." Thorton remarked with a smile, because floating or not, a bullet would solve their problems, "Take him down, boys."

"Got it, Boss!" Joey shouted as he readied his gun, but then the identified Starkid shook his head sadly.

"Oh, no. You boys need a time-out." Starkid said as he turned to Joey and Jacky, who were cocking their guns, "So no toys until time-out is done."

"Make 'em swiss, boys." Thorton encouraged as his boys nodded before shooting off bullet after bullet into Starkid.

Starkid merely took on the barrage with a bored looks, watching disinterestedly as the bullets came racing toward him, only to be crushed against his skin-tight, yet comfy, costume and fall harmlessly to the ground. Starkid glanced back at Thorton, who along with everyone else watching had a face of complete disbelief at what was happening before their very eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Starkid held the gun of who he believed was Joey, who in turn gasped when Starkid came into normal naked-eye view holding his gun.

"Now let's put the toys away," Starkid began, "Because after that, boys, you're going to be in the big time-out for a _long_ time."

And with that, Starkid bent the gun like it was dough for bread, twisting it as easily as a normal human would paper. Joey yelled as he dropped the now broken gun and ran for it while the others were still in disbelief.

Thinking fast, Thorton turned on heel and shot a bullet at the fire alarm, which caused Starkid to raise a brow as Thorton smirked.

"Any reason for that?" Starkid asked, his emerald eyes filled with mirth.

"Just for this." And with that, Thorton fired another shot… straight into the radiator. Starkid's eyes widened as he shot pass Thorton and the still hostage Lillian in order to contain the blast. Thorton wasted no time in rushing off to the car while Starkid was using his impressive speed to collect the blasted off metal door and contain the explosion of the radiator. Though the explosion blasted him back toward the entrance of the bank, Starkid flipped through the air and steadied himself in midair while glancing around. Thorton and his boys were nowhere in sight.

Well, almost none of them.

"Hey, Joey." Starkid said, appearing in front of the startled Joey, who screamed and tried to rush off the other way, but Starkid was already in his way again, though this time he grabbed Joey by the collar of his trench coat and heaved him off the ground while glaring down at him with those unnaturally green eyes, "No time for games, Joe. Where's Thorton?"

"He went that way!" Joey admitted pointing down the street where Starkid's vision could see a car moving through traffic as if the devil were at its tires.

"Thanks, Joe. Now be good and sit tight." Starkid said, patting Joey's head, "Because if you move…"

And he left that threat hanging with another glare as he quickly gave chase to the runaway robbers while hearing the police arriving on the bank scene.

* * *

"I knew robbing this city was a bad idea, Boss! I knew it!" Johnny said as he slammed his hand on the steering wheel while Thorton raised a brow.

"Oh, yeah? And why was that?" Thorton asked as Jimmy poked his head up front while Lillian shook with fright for her life in the back seat with him and Jacky.

"It's because this is where Starkid mainly operates from around the world." Jimmy explained, "Heard about it on the news while you were shaving, Boss. Starkid is the classic superhero these days."

"Then why have I never heard about him?" Thorton asked as Johnny swerved down a side street and off the main road.

"He's only been operating for a little under a month." Jacky said calmly, in the back reading the newspaper, "Says here he's done just about everything a hero could: from saving kittens in trees to stopping tsunamis and the like."

"This is _fucking_ insane." Thorton swore as Jimmy and Jacky exchanged looks. The Boss _never_ swore, "A damn comic book superhero like Gravity Man just shows up and foils one of my biggest illegal heist yet! What sorta world do we live in?"

"I don't know, Boss, but we got company. _Starkid_-like company." Johnny said, looking in his rear-view mirror to see Starkid flying directly behind them, even being so cocky as to wave at him in the mirror.

"Drive faster, you blockhead! He's gaining on us!" Thorton urged as Johnny slammed his foot to the petal, speeding down the street even quicker, "Turn back onto the main road. That'll cause enough chaos for us to escape."

"How do you know, Boss?" Jimmy asked as Thorton smirked proudly.

"Read comics when I was a kid." Thorton declared as his boys looked at him in admiration, "No way am I being caught."

Just as they were about to get onto the main road, they felt the car rise up and buck beneath them. Looking out of the window, everyone gasped as they saw that the car was actually flying high above the buildings, and making it's way somewhere.

"I've cut your engines off." Starkid's voice sounded inside the car as they all looked around, but found not one hair from the messy head of the hero, "Now be good little boys and enjoy your ride to the wagon."

"The hell with that!" Thorton said, "I have never been caught a day in my criminal life! I'm Eddie Thorton! The Crime King of the Seven Continents! Push that bitch out!"

"But, Boss, she's only a-"

"I said push the bitch out!" Thorton roared as Jimmy looked at Jacky, who in turn lowered his paper to gaze at his friend and his Boss in surprise and shock.

"Now, Boss." Jacky began, still calm, "We have never compromised our morals with killing before, and we should not start now."

"Yeah, Jacky's right, Boss." Jimmy nodded, "Besides, if he rushes to save the lady here from falling, then… what stops us from hitting the ground with a splat."

"He's a hero, Jimmy." Thorton began with exasperation clear in his tone, "He wouldn't let either us or the lady here die. Heroes are too goody-goody for that."

"Actually, I'm still pretty new at this, and have no way of saving both Miss Lillian and you boys at the same time." Starkid's voice sounded with amusement, "Plus, if I had to choose between the two choices, I'd pick the girl. She's pretty and you're all criminals who would rot in jail anyway."

"He's got a point, Boss." Jimmy said as Thorton turned in his seat and smacked the idiot.

"Shut up…" Thorton muttered as he sat back down and crossed his arms. Prison… him… him in prison… He never thought he'd see the day…

"This is your pilot speaking," Starkid's voice sounded inside the flying car as Jacky chuckled while resuming the reading of his paper, "If you'll look out to your left, you'll see an overview of beautiful London. And if you look to your right, then you'll see the authorities waiting below for us to land and take you fine men to jail."

"Great sight." Jacky quipped as Thorton glared at him.

"Please passengers, don't mind the turbulence of the landing, and thank you for flying Air Starkid." Starkid's voice said before they were all bucked forward in their seats and the car landed to the ground, where the police quickly swarmed it ready to arrest the would-be robbers.

Ripping off the door as though it were wet parchment, Starkid offered his hand to the only lady in the vehicle, who jumped over Jacky and took the hand, not wanting to spend another second with her would-be kidnappers.

Thorton and his boys sighed as they got out of the car, hands already high up in surrender as the cops slapped the 'cuffs on them.

"Are you alright, Miss Lillian?" Starkid asked pleasantly, giving the woman a concerned look and then one of confusion when she reached up and kissed him.

"Thank you so much!" Lillian said, looking as though she wanted to cry from the experience of being kidnapped, but laugh for the blush that covered Starkid's handsome young face.

"Umm… N-No problem, Ma'am…" Starkid sputtered out as he gently let the woman onto her feet. She had kissed him…

"You've done it again, Brilliant Boy." the lead policeman said gratefully as Starkid shook his head clear, his blush fading only slightly as he smiled.

"All in a day's work, officer." Starkid said, "Now, I'm only 14 years-old, so I need to get to my homework. I'm sure you can handle things from here."

"Thanks again, Starkid!" Lillian said as the hero slowly took to the air, "Will we ever see you? Ya know, around?"

"I'm always around, ma'am." Starkid said with a dazzling smile not unlike that of Gilderoy Lockhart, but fair less conceited an vain in his ways, "I am, after all, your friendly neighborhood superhero."

And with those final words, Starkid took to the skies in a blur of speed while he heard the thunderous applause from those on the streets below.

* * *

Flying faster than sound could travel, Starkid rocketed into the atmosphere of the planet. It still amazed him every time he flew so high and so fast. If it had been a scant month ago, and someone told him he'd have the ability to cover several thousand miles in the span of a few seconds, Harry would have laughed with them at such a hilarious joke. However, here he was, gazing down at the glorious planet Earth as only few others had so far.

Now that he was so high above Great Britain, he turned to his right and allowed his super-vision to focus on the city he wanted to have a quickly stop at before he went back to school. Finding the country, and then the state… and then the county… and then the district… and so on, Starkid smiled lightly while still holding his breath. He had found it.

Angling himself downward while still in the planet's orbit, Starkid shot forward in the direction he wanted to go, diving down toward Earth as he began to feel the tight tube-like pressure building around him that he had was beginning to become accustom with the reentry of Earth's multi-gassed atmosphere. To him, the diving was bit slow, but to a normal being it would be seen (or unseen) as near if not completely hypersonic.

Realizing that he was getting a bit too close to his target without letting up speed, Starkid kept himself at a ranged speed before reducing his speed to subsonic so his flight into the city would go unnoticed.

You know, with out all the broken windows and destroyed streets… Like the last time he had tried it…

"Welcome to Gotham." Starkid read as he began to slow his descend to the city and use his super-acute vision to find his target, "But even with super-vision I could spot that bloody mansion a mile away… which I am. Heh, heh!"

Looking up at the stately estate of Wayne manor as he came swooping in from the sea-side outskirts of Gotham City, Starkid notice nothing special about the place. It was just like any other run of the mill average billionaire home. Using his super-vision, he saw the inside of the huge garage, spying at least twenty large cars and ten motorcycles. Descending down onto an open window he saw, Starkid let himself into the large manor with a whistle of appreciation like he had done many of the other times he had visited. Inside the mansion was a cabinet holding the finest china. An enormous chandelier with diamond tipped fixtures hung proudly from the ceiling. In one room was a museum of weaponry including the finest samurai swords and medieval weapons. In one corner of the living room was a polished grandfather clock. Probably the most noteworthy object in the grand house was an almost life-size portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne in the sitting room.

It was that portrait that always caused Starkid's whistle, wishing that he had such a painting of his deceased parents.

One might have guessed from the painting that this house belonged to Thomas and Martha. Starkid would have even told you that you were right… well, that is, if it hadn't been for the horrendous tragedy that occurred only six short years ago.

Starkid walked up to the painting, then flew up to the faces of the lovely couple as he recalled the tragic tale he had heard of Thomas and Martha Wayne.

It was said that when the sorrowful event occurred, Thomas and Martha Wayne were taking their young son, Bruce Wayne, to see the latest Grey Ghost movie; the Grey Ghost having been Bruce's favorite superhero. Bruce Wayne had been on an emotional high until his parents decided to take a shortcut through a dark alley.

Starkid grimace as he recalled the dark turn the tale took at that precise moment. How a man with a gun had stopped the family, demanding that the young couple hand over all of their money. How the young mugger took a great interest in Martha's sparkling pearl necklace. How Thomas had bravely tried to fight the robber off to protect his family, but ended up being shot dead for his trouble.

Starkid felt like he could almost see the event before his eyes. How the mugger jerked the pearl necklace from Martha's neck, and how it dispersed, flying all over the alley and down storm/sewer drains. How in a fit of anger and annoyance, the robber turned his gun on Martha and killed her as well to silence the woman's screams for help.

Though, Starkid smiled tightly as there was a silver-lining to the sad tale. It was when young Bruce, who was then in mortal peril of going the way his parents had, was saved by the sound and sight of the approaching authorities and their sirens.

However, Starkid sighed as he remembered how the tale ended. How it was that in the years to follow, Bruce Wayne had made a vow that no one else would suffer the same fate that his parents did. That he had at the lost of their lives. Bruce Wayne had sworn to dedicate his life to fighting crime in anyway he could from that day forth. He had promised to strike fear into the hearts of evil-doers everywhere as the Dark Knight.

As the Caped Crusader...

As the Darkness...

As the Night...

As-

"I told you not to touch that portrait!" a voice behind Starkid growled dangerously, even in it's pubescent stage as Starkid jumped a foot in the air and floated there in surprise.

"Bloody hell, Bruce, don't sneak up on me like that." Starkid said, a hand laid on his heart as he tried to stop it from beating so quickly. Then, realizing his words and what had happened, Starkid narrowed his eyes and looked down at the scowling teen image of Bruce Wayne, who stood in dark grey and black tights, all hidden under a cape as black as the midnight hour. This was Batboy, the beginning rookie Dark Knight of Gotham City.

"Wait a second!" Starkid yelled, "_You_ _snuck_ _up_… _on_ _me_! How?" jabbing his thumb over his shoulder, "My hearing so good that I can hear fishermen in _China_ right now if I wanted to."

Batboy, or Bruce, merely raised a brow, which for a lesser being than Starkid would have been hard to distinguish amongst all the dark colors to find any facial expression. Not to mention the fact that only the lower half of Bruce's face was shown.

"The labs have finally completed the soundless technology I wanted them to thanks to your donation of information on the advanced Kryptonian technology." Bruce replied, his voice impassive and impatient as always, "I wanted to test it out of Alfred, but when I saw you flutter in from the window… Well, I see now that it works perfectly." Bruce then smirked up at him, as if to show that his human technology had finally outclassed superpowers, though Starkid mentally smirked as he knew the human tech was only so far along because of his Kryptonian sciences, "I may just have to give them all raises after tonight."

"Oh ha- bloody- ha!" Starkid said dryly, dropping to the floor as Bruce pulled back his mask to show his own handsome young face while Starkid looked him over, "I see you've also completed your costume. It looks good. A bit drab, morbid, depressing, and bland, but ya know; good."

"Very funny." Bruce said with not a twitch of emotion, though Starkid noticed the very subtle muscle twitch that happened within Bruce's right cheek to make his eye twitch near invisibly, "Don't you have a tall building to leap somewhere?"

"No, did that this morning." Starkid chirped happily with a stance of pride before glancing at the mask that Bruce had pulled off, "Why are the ears so big and pointy? I thought you were going to be a bat, not Dumbo."

"I _am_ a bat, you nimrod." Bruce growled, being to get annoyed with the criticisms on his own costume. At least he was parading around like some disco lava lamp from the 60's like _someone_ in the room, "Bats are known for the ear-thing, okay. Besides, I only put this on right now because of two reason."

"And those would be…" Starkid prompted as he crossed his arms smoothly.

"One is because I wanted you to be the first to see it… and to tell me if it was acceptable." Bruce said, a blush on his cheeks as he refused to meet Starkid's gaze. Starkid smiled as he patted Bruce's shoulder.

"It's terrifying, and you look downright scary in it. It's good on you. Though you could stand to make the ears just a _bit_ smaller. They could get in the way, and you never know." Starkid said honestly, knowing his honesty was key. Bruce rarely ever placed judgment in the hands of others, and the two were only just becoming good friends over the last month with their bonding.

Bruce smiled softly for a second before he went back to scowling, "Noted." Bruce said, pulling up his mask as he turned on heel and walked away, Starkid following by floating a foot off the floor, "The other reason I'm in this now is because your little social gathering is currently in my basement."

"You mean the Batcave?" Starkid said as Bruce looked at him.

"Why must you _insist_ on calling it that?" Bruce demanded as Starkid shrugged.

"Because ever since I dug the entrance and exits, all I see when I go down there are bats flying about and smacking me in the face." Starkid explained with a good-natured smirk as Bruce scowled.

"Well if you didn't insist on _flying_ around all the time, and simply _walked_ like a normal person…" Bruce trialed off in his mutterings as he continued to lead the way.

"Hey, I've only been flying for two weeks." Starkid said as Bruce raised a brow.

"It got old the day you knocked on my window and preceded to moonwalk on air into my bedroom." Bruce deadpanned as Starkid scoffed.

"Flying will never get old!" Starkid said, hovering over Bruce and then beside him, floating next to the scowling boy and still keeping pace.

"Well, perhaps you'll want to tune down the flight while sitting in on your party." Bruce suggested, "The one, I might add, you have hosted in my house without my permission."

"But Alfred said you needed more friends." Starkid said innocently as Bruce glared.

"I _don't_ need friends or teammates. I work alone." Bruce said, but then paused for a second, "Or at least, I will once I start my patrols."

"And I'll be there to help you while you're getting the hang of the ropes, _teammate_." Starkid said, patting Bruce roughly on the back while still floating at the other's side, "After all, what are _friends_ for?"

"And with friends like you, who needs thugs and enemies…" Bruce deadpanned as Starkid smiled.

"Exactly!" but then Bruce disappeared and Starkid ran back over what had been said.

Oh… Bruce was being sarcastic…

Wait a minute…!

"Hey!"

* * *

Starkid muttered many curses as he pressed the panel inside the grandfather clock, making it recede into the wall and disappear to the side as he suppressed a shudder at the dark passageway while flying down it. He hated knowing that he had helped in creating something so creepy, and yet he was still elated to have done it, for not only did it help him bond with Bruce, but it was also cool to have created the foreboding cave where several bats flew around the ceiling, one hitting Starkid in his face as he went back to mumbling about hurting Bruce.

Glancing around the cave, he saw that Bruce had turned the place into a sort of museum with several odd relics, but Starkid didn't much care to look now when he could any later day.

No, what interest the England crime-fighter was the assemble of teenagers all crowded around Bruce's latest supercomputer while praising the shy and reclusive teen on his headquarters and base of operations in the dark.

"Well, he did most of the grunt work for this place…" Bruce admitted with his cheeks still a rosy red while pointing over to where Starkid was landing to the steps in front of the group.

"Hello everyone," Starkid greeted as the others turned to him, "I'm Starkid, and I'm glad to see that all of you could make it."

"It was nice to be invited." a teenage girl said, her eyes near constantly glancing back to Bruce in interest, "Hello; I am Diana, Warrior Prince to the Amazons of Themyscira." Starkid shook her hand in earnest, even wincing a bit as she applied pressure, but then applied the same as she smirked, "I must admit, my mother and the other Amazons were wary of the invitation you seen by owl. However, after some research, we recognized it as the way of the messaging others by secret society of Lady Hecate's children, so my mother knew that it was important that I should come and represent the Amazons. However, if this is about the children of Lady Hecate moving onto _our_ lands-"

"Trust me, Princess Diana; that is not the case." Starkid replied quickly, his red cape billowing slightly in the draft of the cave, "I assure you that this is about something _far_ greater than wizards or Amazons."

"Then what is it about." another teen asked emotionlessly, though this one teen seemed unusually plain among the assorted guests while Bruce sat at his console in interest.

"I'll tell you, J'onn." Starkid said walking into the center of the group, "I have been traveling about the world this last month, trying to help wherever I and my powers could. However, I'm not the only one with special abilities, and not the only one that can do good."

Starkid looked over the group, gazing into each of their faces with an expression of confidence and sincerity, "Over this last month, I have come across nearly all of you personally, and have witness what you were capable of first-hand while helping you in defending what you hold dear. I have discovered all of you, and wanted to be sure that I at least go a face-to-face with you all so we could continue to work together on friendly terms and continue to protect the world from things that would otherwise do it harm."

"What are you getting at, Potter?" Bruce demeaned as Starkid looked at him, a bit annoyed that the other teen was revealing his identity, but not too miffed. After all, if anyone around them turned to crime they could rat out Batboy as Bruce Wayne any day of the week.

"I'm saying that we form a loose team of sorts." Starkid explained, "One that would help one another whenever asked and whenever around."

"Kinda like a super club." a red-head teen said, smiling as he blurred to Starkid's side, leaning on the taller teen while smirking, "I like it. I mean, I'm the fastest guy alive," and to prove his point the raced over to Bruce and tapped him before blurring back to Starkid's side before Bruce even had the chance to look up, "but even I can't be in five places at once."

"That's the point." Starkid explained, "What if something happens near one of you and its too big for even you or those around you to handle? What if your ganged up on?" Starkid said, looking around at his fellow teens, "The answer: I'm here to help, and I hope you're there too, even having my back when I need it. I might have powers, but even I can't save the world by myself. I need help. I need friends. I need teammates. Don't we all?"

Starkid stepped back to Bruce's side as he saw the others mulling the decision over. He understand their hesitation. It would take a lot of work to make the idea work, but even the red-head goofball could see the benefit in it all.

Because the base of the idea was that they were no longer a alone in a world that didn't understand them. A world that, if not heroes, would label them freaks and abominations to nature, or… aliens…

The idea of their "club" meant having a shoulder to cry on when you were feeling sad, and having someone to pick you up when you were low on yourself.

"I'm in." Bruce declared first, and even though most had only met him earlier today, even they were shocked that he would be the first to agree to a team when he gave off the whole "loner" vibe.

"If Bats is in, then so am I." the red-head declared with another smirk as Bruce glowered at him for the "Bats" reference.

"I'll have to speak it over with my mother, for she may not approve. I'll also have to pray to the Gods for your safe passage to Themyscira for more of these talks or should you ever be in the area, but you can include me in your numbers." Diana said with a nod at Bruce while Starkid smiled.

"I would like to join as well." J'onn said monotonously as he stepped up to Starkid, shaking hands with him as Starkid smiled. J'onn was always gonna be a weird one.

"Fine, I'm in as well, but I don't know how much help I'll be. I just got this stupid thing a week ago." the dark-skinned boy said while showing the green-glowing ring on his hand's middle finger. Starkid could see that the new Lantern's abrasive personality already showing, but Starkid could just tell that the guy would soften up if given enough time.

"Then we're all in agreement with it so far?" Starkid said as everyone nodded, "Good. Now there's only one last thing to do: reveal ourselves to each other."

"Huh?" most asked as Bruce narrowed his eyes.

"What are you saying?" Bruce demeaned as Starkid only smiled at his friend, watching with amusement as Bruce tugged down on his mask to keep it firmly in place.

"I mean that if we're really going to be a team, even a loose one, and if we're really going to depend on one another when the tough situations come at us like a scarlet steam engine, then we're going to need to have total trust. No secrets." Starkid said firmly as he stepped forward, "I'll go first."

And with that, his brushed a bang of his messy black hair to the side to reveal his famous lighting bolt scar as Diana raised a brow but the red-head boy gawked.

"That is so cool." the red-head declared as Starkid chuckled.

"Thanks, Kid Flash. Anyways, as I was about to say: Hey, my name is Harry Potter, and my hero name is Starkid… or Starboy… I'm still looking, but either will do. Just know that I come from beyond the stars as you know them."

"So wait, you're an alien?" the dark-skinned boy asked with his arms crossed firmly. Starkid, or at least around friends, Harry Potter, noticed how subtly J'onn had tensed and backed up some, and saw that Bruce had noticed it as well. All that was ignored while the red-head known as Kid Flash merely looked more impressed.

"You are so cool right now, buddy." Kid Flash said, giving a red-gloved thumbs-up.

"Thanks." Harry replied with his own bright smile.

"An alien… Mother Hera…" Diana breathed a blush on her cheeks, "Are all your people so… h-handsome?"

"My people… are dead…" Harry replied, trying not to sound so somber about it, but failing miserably.

"I'm so sorry." Diana said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Harry shrugged it off, deciding that it was a moot point at the moment. He glanced up and saw that J'onn had the same look, so Harry decided that he couldn't remain somber about it.

"Don't worry about it, happened when I was a baby." Harry said, smiling as he chose to live in the present and protect the future, "Besides, I have J'onn with me nowadays and he's brilliant."

J'onn tensed as the group's attention centered on him. He knew what Harry wanted, and was a bit afraid that he would frighten them all to death like he had-

"You're an alien, too?" Kid Flash asked as the dark-skinned boy with the green ring elbowed him, "Ow!"

"Don't you have any tact at all?" the older boy asked as Kid Flash shrugged.

"Yes," J'onn answered in a curious and deliberate drawl, "I am an alien."

"Are you one like Harry here with the laser-eyes, super-speed, and flying, or are you one of those shape-shifting ones. Hey, I've watched Creature From the Beyond a hundred times, so I can pick 'em, and I say you're the latter type." Kid Flash said as J'onn felt his lips quirk upward at the boy's goofiness and laidback attitude when dealing with the extraterrestrial.

"Yes, I can manipulate my appearance, among other things. I am doing so right now." J'onn said as he slowly morphed his appearance to that of his native one. Green skin, red eyes, and all, "My name is J'onn J'onzz, or John Jones in your English tongue. I am also called the Martin Manhunter or even Martian Boy by Harry here."

J'onn waited with baited breath for their reactions as the others gazed upon him. Diana covered her mouth, but the gasped escaped too quickly. The one dressed as a bat merely raised an eyebrow, and J'onn was beginning t think that the bat-themed boy possessed even less human reactions than he himself did. Kid Flash's mouth hung agape and the dark-skinned boy had to reach over and close the red-head's mouth for him while never taking his eyes off of the green alien. Harry simply smiled as he tipped his head to J'onn.

"Hmph, in the last few days, I've seen stranger things." the dark-skinned teen muttered with his arms still firmly crossed in an unimpressed stance.

"Dude, nice." Kid Flash said, moving around J'onn in a blur, "But that costume is a little… sparse."

"How about this then?" J'onn said, and with that his blue trunks descended down into his dark blue boots and his red-X expanding around him to form a dark blue skin-tight shirt from it while his blue cape fluttered at his ankles.

"Nice, man." Kid Flash said with a smirk as he grabbed J'onn by the shoulder, "Can you teach me that? I promise, I'm a pretty fast learner."

The dark-skinned boy merely shook his head at Kid Flash's behavior before he stepped forth, "I'm John Stewart, apparently the _latest_ Green Lantern. I'm an avid comic-book fan, and I dare one of you to make fun of me for it. I want to go into architecture when I'm older."

"Now that's a real greeting." Harry remarked as Bruce raised a brow at John.

"Did you read issues of Grey Ghost?" Bruce asked as John smirked.

"Does the Pantomime fall through his own invisible box into the lava pit?" John shot back as he and Bruce _actually_ smirked at each other. Harry was so glad he had super-sight or else he would have missed it the tiny upward quirk of Bruce's lips.

"Bruce Wayne, Batman… err… Bat_boy_… for now." Bruce said as he shook hands with John.

"So everyone's been introduced but me?" Kid Flash asked as the others gave him a look, "Okay, I understand. You guys wanna save the best for last. Perfectly fine." Kid Flash bowed dramatically, sending a wink at Diana, who blinked in confusion. Did the red-head have eye problems or something?

"I'm Wally West, better known as Kid Flash at your service. I'm the fastest kid alive." Kid Flash said as John and Bruce looked skeptical.

"Prove it." Bruce said as Wally grinned.

"Okay, close your eyes and count to three, because when they open, you won't see me." Kid Flash, or Wally, said as Bruce and John exchanged looks before doing so.

"One." the two said as Wally was already gone and back, having blindfolded the two.

"Two." he left again, and this time returned with rope and tied the two in place.

"Three. Hey!" and this time he came back with a soda, sucking at the straw with his grin growing.

"So, what'd miss?" Wally asked as Bruce and John scowled deeply.

"Okay, you're fast." Bruce said, having already untied himself and proceeded to take off his blindfold.

"But you're a little slow in the head if you think ropes and rags will stop anyone like us." John remarked as his ring glowed brightly before a beam shot out, forming into a green knife which cut through both his blindfold and the ropes.

"Actually, among all of us," Harry began, gesturing to Kid Flash, "Wally here has been a hero and crime fighter with his mentor, Flash, for the longest time and has a bit of seniority in this deal. He's been Kid Flash for nearly three whole years now. And then J'onn has been doing a bit of disguised detective work for the past few months while he's been on Earth."

"Yes, but you've been saving the world since you were an infant." J'onn remarked with a small smile.

"What does he mean?" Diana asked.

"Well, Wondergirl, I'll tell you." Harry said as Diana blinked once again in confusion. Wondergirl? Where had he gotten that name from?

"You see, when I was a baby a Dark Lord came after me because I was prophesized to be a threat to his evil reign of terror throughout Europe. When he came for me, he killed my parents, but in trying to kill me the love my mother had for me protected me from him, and reflected his own Killing Curse right back at him." Harry explained shortly as the others looked at him.

"Wait, I thought you said your planet blew up." Wally said as Harry nodded.

"That was before I was sent to Earth and discovered by my loving Earth parents." Harry answered, "My father, and also my mother I suppose, loved me so much that they defied the laws of their planet, the honor of our family, and betrayed the trust of their own siblings to see me arrive here safely before the planet blew up."

"You're just one tragedy after another, aren't you?" John asked with a smirk as Harry sighed.

"You don't know the half of it, Lantern Boy." Harry replied as John's eye twitched. Lantern Boy? Was the guy just handing out hero names? Then Harry's face turned grim as he continued on, "Still though, that Dark Lord is a problem."

"I thought you said he was dead. Reflecting a Killing Curse back at him? I think that means dead, right?" Wally said as he looked around.

"It normally would, but somehow he survived and now lives as a mere shadow of himself. However, my magical mentor is sure that he will rise again somehow." Harry admitted as John narrowed his eyes.

"So that's it? That's why you were forming this group!" John declared as Wally and Diana looked confused, though Bruce and J'onn merely watched on without an expression.

"No, that's not why, or at least, not the main reason." Harry admitted as John still looked skeptical of him, "I can handle the Dark Lord Voldemort with the others of my magical community. He will not be a major problem so long as he remains fixated on killing me and taking over Magical Britain. However…" as he trialed off, Harry sent a glance at J'onn, who nodded subtly for Harry to go on, "However, there are dangers from space that we need to watch out for and people here on Earth that shall pose actual problems to peace, justice, and love."

"Love?" Diana echoed in confusion before shrugging, "I suppose it's as great a value as anything else."

"It was love that protected me when I was a baby, both from the destruction of my home-world and from the Dark Lord Voldemort." Harry said as Diana nodded, seeing his point.

"So we're all in, but what do we call ourselves?" Wally asked as Harry shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm bad with picking names. I'm still stuck on three right now and have not one hero name to call myself when I grow into a man of age." Harry admitted as Wally snickered at him, but John smacked him upside the head.

"So what, we're all just a bunch of Superfriends?" Wally asked as Harry paused for a second, then smirked.

"Yeah… why not?" Harry said, looking around to gauge the others' reactions.

"Whatever." Bruce grunted as he turned back to his computer and began typing away with abandon while J'onn nodded and watched Bruce.

"Works for me." John said with a shrug as Wally gave a thumbs-up.

"I'm not sure on the name, but we're still in the early stages. A better one, if any, will come with time and the blessings of Mother Hera." Diana said as they all gathered around Bruce's supercomputer.

"With the help of Harry's science and technology, I've had my family's company develop a satellite system around the global of the last month." Bruce explained as he pulled up schematics of the system, "Their still working on the inner-ear headset prototypes for me and Harry, but if those go over well, then I'll have some made for all of us. So until then, we'll just have to make due with com-links to keep on our person at all times."

"So, Bats," Wally began, "What's your power?"

"I'm rich beyond your wildest dreams." Bruce deadpanned without pausing in his work.

"Okay…" Wally said, "… Wanna trade?"

"I'll trade with ya." John said with a small smirk, "But this stupid ring doesn't go away. Little green people told me I was chosen, or whatever."

"I also have many global resources, a keen detective mind, know a good deal about martial arts, and pretty much own all of Gotham City." Bruce continued as though no one had spoken.

"Seriously," Wally said, dropping to his knees beside Bruce, "trade with me! You can be the fastest, and I'll be the richest. If only for a weekend!"

"Shut up." Bruce said, pressing one final key as he turned to Wally and glared, making the red-head shrink back, "Besides, you'll all probably be spending quite the bit of time here until we can manage to locate this team's headquarters to somewhere else."

"I'm cool with that." Wally said, sipping at his soda.

"I hope you didn't still that." John commented as Wally looked appalled.

"Hey, I left the money on the counter." Wally snapped as Harry intervened, seeing that Wally was taking the comment personally.

"Please, calm down. John, Wally doesn't like to be accused of using his powers for petty crime, and Wally, I'm sure John was just poking fun." Harry said as John and Wally looked away from one another.

"Great team you got here." Bruce commented as J'onn smiled slightly while Harry sighed and Diana looked confused at Wally and John's facing opposite directions.

"Yeah, just bloody fantastic…" Harry muttered while running his hand through his hair.

This would take some honest and hard work… of that, Harry was sure…


	3. Harry Potter, Negotiator

**Chapter 3: Harry Potter, Negotiator**

* * *

Neville found that after a month, he was always the first to awaken. While all the other boys were heavy sleepers, he himself was trained by his Gran to never be so. So it was only him and Harry that were the light-sleepers in the room.

That was, unless Harry was having one of his nightmares…

The whimpers and gasps coming from Harry were always so hushed behind his bed-hangings that Neville was sure they would have been screams from anyone else. It worried him that his friend was normally trapped within such nightmares. After three years of sleeping in the same room, Neville was able to tell when Harry was having nightmares and not repressed memories or visions. In fact, over the last month, Harry was very open about his memories and visions.

But his nightmares… Neville sighed as he got out of bed and spelled a damp cloth from the showers. He quietly made his way across the room to see two others already attending to Harry, trying quietly to wake the Boy-Who-Lived.

Ron and Dobby, the only two that could ever get to Harry before he could…

"He's having another one." Ron said, not glancing back as he felt Neville's silent footsteps, "I think it's the one where he does bad stuff."

"Dobby cannot wake Master Harry Potter, sir." Dobby said, his ears low as Neville patted his head, "Dobby is most saddened by Master Harry Potter sir's pain…"

"We all are, Dobby." Neville said as Harry began thrashing lightly in bed, cold sweat running down his forehead.

_Red shot forth from his eyes… His palms glowing green… Red flashed… A dance of blood, power, magic, and death…_

_Harry grinned despite himself as muggle after muggle attacked him in vain. His thoughts were gleeful as he cut them down one after the other, the blood flying up salty and bitter against his face and lips._

_Soon enough they would learn… That he was their new God…_

"_Don't give up! Keep fighting for your world's freedom!" one screamed, a massive gun in his hands as he charged, a contingent of four others right behind him, and all shooting at him as the bullets merely shattered and bounced away off his body, not harming him in the least._

_Harry began to panic for the men as his outward-self roared with laughter. The faces of the four men were replaced over and over again by his friends and all those he cared for._

_Ron and Hermione… Neville and Bruce… Sirius and Dumbledore… the Weasleys and Remus… His classmates… J'onn and Wally…_

_He was only fourteen! He wanted to scream for them to find some Kryptonite and shove it down his throat, but all he did outwardly was laugh as he struck the five brave soldiers._

_He didn't want his friends to die all because he had become some monster!_

"_Harry, _wake up!"

With that yell, Harry jolted up in his bed, eyes unfocused as they shot forth beams of death at the feel of someone's hands upon him.

"Stay back! Get Kryptonite! Kill me!" Harry shouted through his haze of confusion as he heard the unmistakable sound of Neville's girlish yelp while the heat beams just barely missed him, shooting at Harry's curtains, but doing the hangings no harm.

Neville chuckled nervously, ignoring how wide Harry's eyes had gotten once he realized what was going on and how he had awaken the others by his yelling. Ron only breathed a sigh of relief while Dobby dapped at Harry's forehead while Harry was still too deep in shock to stop him.

"Neville, I'm so-"

"Bad dreams again, huh?" Neville interrupted, not wanting Harry to apologize, "Well, let's get you some tea… But… Umm… let's _not_ make it _that_ way, okay?" Neville tried to joke, hands still trembling from nerves even though he knew that Harry would never hurt him on purpose.

Harry, however, shook his head as he scrambled out of the bed, thin sheet shredding under his hands as he pulled it away from his body, "No… I need some… I need some air." The room was a blur as he raced out, the sleepy protests of the Fat Lady a distant note in his ears as he ran, legs pounding against the floor, heat building in his muscles.

The last month had taught him a lot of control. How to subconsciously keep from using his super-strength unless he wanted, or how to keep from flying unless he called for the ability. Now habit told him to get somewhere high, and instinct urged him outside where he took to the skies above Hogwarts to find a tall enough tower. Spotting the tallest of all the Hogwarts towers, Harry descended to it slowly and quietly for fear of the Ravenclaw dorm spotting him.

Now he stood atop the Astronomy Tower… that was, before he collapsed with his back against the brick ledge, burying his head in his knees as he sank down to his bottom. His hands absently massaged through his hair. Not only did he dream of becoming a monster, a tyrant, a terrible God above all the humans, but he also almost shot Neville. And while he was sure the blast would not have killed his friend now that he reflected on it, he would have been but in mortal danger…

"Dear Rao, I'm a terrible monster…"

"You really gotta stop beating yourself up, mate. It's not healthy."

Harry turned back to see Ron and Hermione poking their heads up through the trapdoor of the tower, Hermione rubbing sleep from her bleary eyes as the pair joined him. They flanked him, offering the silent support of friends, but only Hermione seemed to take noticed of the faint trembling Harry's body underwent.

"…Is… Is Neville alright?" Harry asked quietly as Ron nodded, holding back a yawn. It was about four in the morning, so they couldn't blame him.

"He's a little shaken up, but he's perfectly fine. The better question is; Are you okay?" Ron said as Hermione and him exchanged looks before gazing down at Harry.

"I'm… I just, freaked, I guess. I'm fine. Just a nightmare, is all." Harry admitted as he sighed, dropping even lower into himself as Hermione pursed her lips.

"You shot laser beams at Neville." Hermione said as she saw Harry flinch, "But they hit your curtains instead and did nothing."

"Harry and Dumbledore put up spells a few weeks ago to stop Harry's new powers from hurting anyone. The curtains are just about everything-proof." Ron offered offhandedly.

"I'll be fine." Harry said, taking in a deep breath, "No one was hurt this time so everything's fine."

"But Harry, everything's not." Hermione persisted, "You're not fine. You're a mess."

"It was just a nightmare." Harry said firmly, "I would never do the things I did in it."

"What did you do?" Ron asked as he sat beside Harry on the cold stone. It was chilling, what with it being only three days before Christmas, but luckily the spells from the Astronomy classes were still keeping the tower-top reasonably warm and from having snow on it.

"Killed, maimed, destroyed all that stood in my way of power… of ascension… of ruling the world and any other world that would come after…" Harry said, shaking more as he recounted the terrible dream.

"But would you ever do that?" Hermione asked as Harry turned to her fast, almost giving her whiplash from just watching.

"No! I would never-!" Harry nearly yelled.

"Then there's nothing to worry about then, right?" Hermione continued, kneeling down to pat his tense shoulder, "Harry, you're not the only who has nightmares. Most people have nightmares about them being hurt, but because you know almost nothing hurts you, your mind plays on your fear of hurting others."

"Wow…" Ron said, having the emotional reassurance of a teaspoon, though Harry was thankful, "Hermione's really smart. She figured that out in like thirty seconds."

"It's basic psychology, Ron." Hermione scoffed half-heartedly, "If a man can't fear for himself, then he'll fear for those around him."

"Yeah, but you came to that answer really quickly." Ron praised as Hermione's already rosy cheeks from the cold flushed a deeper red, "Are we sure that Harry's not the only one with powers around here."

"Probably not." Harry admitted, "You know how yesterday I went around the global for the first time and began to really help people?" at his friends nods he went on, "Well, I also went to see Bruce, and it turns out that the four people I invited to form a super-team were already there waiting for me. Everyone agreed, and now we'll be able to do more good."

"But you'll take us with you next time, right?" Ron asked as Harry looked thoughtful.

"That depends on how long it'll take to finish the flight-rings, Ron." Hermione reminded, "Once Harry's finished with the technological parts of it, I'll have to spell the rings and then we'll have to engrave runes into them with Harry's vision, and then-"

"Alright, bloody hell, I get it." Ron said, waving his hands as he got up with Harry following, all three now standing around, "I was just asking 'cause I'm all excited. We're gonna be Muggle superheroes, 'Mione!"

"It is rather exciting…" Hermione muttered with a small smile.

Harry huffed a quiet laugh, "We're one messed-up trio, aren't we?"

"Yeah, maybe…" Ron said as Hermione giggled.

"Definitely…" Hermione breathed as Harry took his arms and hung them on his friends' shoulders.

"How about we take the express way down?" Harry offered as Ron nodded quickly while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sure thing, Brilliant Boy." Hermione smirked as Ron looked confused.

"I thought you were Starkid." Ron admitted as Harry shrugged as best he could while holding his friends.

"I'm just your average hero. Doesn't matter what my name is." Harry said as Hermione nodded while Ron shrugged.

"Then we can call you Mental Boy, 'cause sometimes I think you are." Ron said as they all started laughing while Harry took to the skies and flew them back to Gryffindor tower, where Dobby was waiting with the windows open.

* * *

"Harry, don't forget your glasses this time." Hermione said as Harry sighed, placing on the false spectacles with an annoyed look. It was just a good thing the glasses didn't impede his vision.

"Why am I always made to wear these again?" Harry asked as Hermione looked up from her book and glanced over at him.

"Stop the floating." Hermione said as Harry huffed, dropping to the floor, "And it's because even wizards don't have the means to permanently fix eyesight yet, and wouldn't trust in any muggle means that could."

"Yeah…" Harry sighed in defeat, "Plus, I think Professor Dumbledore doesn't need his either." Harry said, leaning over the couch to whisper in Hermione's ear, "He's always peering over the top of those things. In fact, next time I go to his office, I'm asking about them."

"Harry!" Hermione chided while trying not to giggle, "Don't be rude!"

"I'm not-" Harry said, but then cut himself off as he heard a noise. Hermione looked up to see his face, noting the far-off look in his eyes and sighed. He was ease-dropping on someone's conversation again…

"Someone is bullying Luna again." Harry said as he turned back to Hermione.

"Well…" Hermione began, "If you must hel-"

But Harry was already gone. Hermione huffed in annoyance. He could have at least waited for her to finish!

* * *

"Hey Luna, you okay? I heard noises." Harry asked as he stepped around the corner as Luna's would-be tormentors paled and began to run off. He noted that one was a Hufflepuff and the other two Ravenclaws. Cedric and whoever was the Ravenclaw Prefect would hear about it as Harry memorized their faces in a spilt second.

"Me?" Luna asked dreamily as she got up, dusting herself off, "I'm fine. Though it is a bit cold without my shoes."

"You know…" Harry began delicately, "You could just summon your shoes back to you. It's not that difficult."

"Right. I wasn't much aware of that." Luna said as she took out her wand from behind her ear, "The spell?"

"Accio, and the name of whatever it is you wish to summon." Harry instructed, "Have a firm picture of the object in your mind, and be specific."

"Right then." Luna said airily as she looked up into his eyes, "Accio my shoes!"

There was a noise above them as Harry reached up and plucked the shoes from the air before they hit Luna in the face. She blinked only once before taking her shoes from Harry and placing them on while Harry spoke to her.

"So… are we still going to the Yule Ball together?" Harry asked as casually as he could while Luna scoffed softly at him.

"While I find it charming that you'd ask again for a tenth time since I accepted, it is getting a bit annoying." Luna said as she stood up and placed a hand on Harry's tone chest while pressing herself into him, "Yes, we are going together. That is, if you don't change your mind about it."

"Sorry." Harry said, blushing slightly at they're closeness before laying arm around Luna's waist, "I'm just nervous is all. Not a very good dancer, and all."

"We have practiced a time or two." Luna said, her dreamy gaze boring into Harry's unnaturally emerald green orbs, "You seemed very light on your feet and skillful.

"_While that's the advantages of super-speed, a hyper-aware senses, and super-coordination_…" Harry thought as he smiled at Luna, "I just got lucky is all."

"I'm sure…" Luna said vaguely as she continued to stare into his eyes, "You're eyes are very nice. They're the most defined shade of emerald green I've ever seen… as though the color and gem themselves come from your eyes…"

"Thank my mother for that." Harry said, not sure which mother to truly thank, "I got them from her."

"I'm sure…" Luna said again, in that airy tone that made Harry think she knew more than she let on.

"Well, if you're not busy…" Harry offered as Luna chuckled, laying her head onto his chest as she did.

"No, I'm not." Luna said, "But, in a way, I am."

"Huh?" and with that, Harry was confused.

"I still need to get things ready for the ball." Luna said, reluctantly moving away from Harry, "Hair, make-up, dress, accessories…"

"While everything else is okay, you don't need make-up." Harry said with a bright smile as Luna's pale face went a tint of red, "You're beautiful without it."

"Th-Thank you." Luna said, slightly taken back by his opinion and the honesty in his voice, "However, this is a night to remember, and so I think I'll still be covering a few thinks up."

"But you don't have any blemishes." Harry said, peering at Luna's face with his vision, "Just a very faint scar on your right cheek."

Luna raised a blond brow at his words as well as a hand to said cheek.

"Sorry." Harry said, "It's not very noticeable, if that is what you're worried about. I like you as you are, and you are my date to the ball."

"Fine. No make-up, then." Luna said with an amused look, "I'll see you later, Harry Potter."

"See ya, Luna." Harry said as he watched her walk away before slipping around the corner.

* * *

"So the Yule Ball is in three days, coming up." Harry said as he sat in the Great Hall with Ron and Neville at both his sides, "Got dates?"

"Aren't you going with Loony Lovegood?" Ron asked, but seeing the glare that Harry normally threw him when he asked about the strange blonde by referring to her as "Loony", his question was answered, "… Sorry."

"No you're not." Harry muttered as Ron sighed.

"She's just so odd, ya know. Goin' on about these things that don't exist." Ron defended as Harry raised a brow.

"How do you know they don't exist. Remember, I proved that Crumpled-Horned Snorack existed on one of my first out of the country trips." Harry reminded as Ron banged his head on the table.

"Don't remind me. Hermione is still thin-lipped about it, and whenever you leave, she keeps raving about how you'll come back with another beast." Ron groaned as Harry grinned while Neville shook his head.

"So what if I came back with a snake… and a raven… and a badger… and a lion… and a bat… and-"

"Okay, we get it." Neville said, looking nervous as he hadn't heard about the lion or snake.

"Where do you keep these things anyway?" Ron asked as Harry grinned.

"Oh, I don't keep them. Professor Dumbledore does, and Hagrid has them in the Forbidden Forest." Harry informed before pouting, "Though I wanted to keep them in the Chamber of Secrets, but they stopped me…"

"So why do you ask about our having dates for the ball" Neville asked curiously, trying hard to get off the subject of dangerous animals on the loose in the forest.

"Oh, because I don't want to see any of my mates angst about who they're going with." Harry answered as Ron and Neville gave him deadpan looks.

"Thanks, mate." the two said as Harry smiled brightly.

"No problem." Harry waved them off, "So, whoa re you going with?"

"He's going with Ginny." Ron said as Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline from the mere fact that those words had come from Ron's mouth.

"Really?" Harry asked, looking to Neville for confirmation, and then to Ron in confusion, "I thought you'd be "Ron, smash!" if anyone took Ginny to a date-like function such as this."

"Well, I would." Ron conceded with his head held high, "She is my baby sister and all-"

"She's less than a year and a half younger than you, Ron. I don't think that counts." Harry interrupted as Neville nodded.

"But I suppose you two are really the only people I would trust not to take advantage of her." Ron went on as though Harry hadn't said a word.

"Neville?" Harry called, wanting to hear it from the normally timid boy's mouth himself.

"She is a friend, and it could be fun." Neville said as Harry nodded.

"Okay, now that that's settled," Harry said, "Let's talk about you, Ron. Who are you going with?"

"Padma Patil." Ron said as Harry whistled.

"She is quite the girl. She's like… the dark-skinned, Ravenclaw-version of Hermione." Harry said as Ron let his head fall to the table while Harry took up a goblet of pumpkin juice, "You better not obsess over Hermione during the ball. I kinda like Padma myself, and would not like to hear about how her evening was a dud thanks to you."

"I know, I know…" Ron said, sighing as he lifted his head, "But you have a thing for every girl in our year."

"I do not." Harry denied, "I only have a thing for a few of them. For instance, I like Padma, but not her twin sister, Parvati. I also like Fleur, who is a bit older than me."

"Along with Luna Lovegood, Daphne Greengrass, Lisa Turpin, Susan Bones, and Tracey Davis." Neville counted out on his fingers as Harry shrugged, "Along with other girls we may not even know about and a few guys you think are cute girls."

"So I confused Seamus one time with a pleasant witch because of a Hairy Head Hex, and you just _have_ _to_ keep bringing it up." Harry said with a roll of his eyes as Neville shrugged in turn.

"I wouldn't if you'd stop hitting on him every other day just to make him all flustered and twitchy." Neville said as Harry sighed melancholy.

"Ahh, but that is a price I can't pay, for my dear Finnegan is too beautiful to escape me." Harry said, then looked directly across from him to where Seamus was red-faced and choking on his pumpkin juice, "Right, Seamus, my lovely?"

"Harry, mate, you're gonna kill 'im." Dean said, shaking his head as he patted Seamus' back to help him out.

"At least he'll die knowing that he has my love." Harry said, then rose from the table, "Just remember what I said; none of you make the girls regret their Christmas evening. Or else…"

Harry left the threat hanging as he walked away from the table, only to head out of the Great Hall with Draco Malfoy at his side trying to get away from a fussing Pansy Parkinson.

"Hey, Draco." Harry said, waving at the blond Slytherin, "Lover's quarrel?"

"Shut it, Potter." Draco spat before he whirled on Pansy, "Fine! I'll wear the damn black formal robes if you'll shut up!"

"That's all I ask, Draco." Pansy said with a sickly sweet tone before trying to kiss Draco's cheek, but he dodged. She looked as though she would start screaming, but then glanced over at Harry, and smiled when her eyes went back to Draco, "I see. No public displays. See you in the Common Room, Draco."

* * *

"Not one word, Potter." Draco said as Harry laughed while he and Draco walked off into the grounds.

"She seems loving." Harry said as Draco narrowed his eyes.

"I keep telling that girl that just because I asked her to this Merlin-forsaken ball, it does not equate to my having an undying love for her." Draco snapped as Harry chuckled.

"Well, maybe she's just going through a phase." Harry suggested, "Ya know, like the one where we all have a crush on someone we know we'll never be with."

At those words, Draco flinched while his cheeks stained red, "Yeah… Never be with…"

"Something wrong, Draco?" Harry asked as they stopped their walk while still under an outside corridor. Draco crossed his arms in a very sophisticated stance, leaning onto the barrier that separated the stone corridor floors from the snow covered grasses of the grounds.

"Why have you been so nice to me this last month, Potter?" Draco asked suddenly, looking out over the grounds, "This last month, you've treated me like… Well, as if we were friends, when everyone knows that we're far from it."

"Do I need a reason?" Harry asked in amusement, but his mirth was cut short by the sharp narrow-eyed look Draco gave him.

"Yes." Draco hissed, "Everyone has a reason behind what they do."

"Maybe I don't." Harry said with a shrug, "Never had much reason to do a lot of things I've done before."

"You have a reason." Draco said, "I can see in the way you keep avoiding my eyes."

"Fine." Harry sighed, sitting on the barrier while Draco continued to stare at him, "I just think it's a little childish to have this… this thing between us when we barely know each other."

"You didn't want to take my hand in First Year." Draco said in his own defense.

"So what? I barely knew you, and you insulted my first ever friend." Harry said as Draco quirked an elegant brow.

"First ever friend?" Draco echoed in confusion, "What kind of life did you live if you didn't have any friends for ten years?"

"A bad one." Harry replied, but didn't say anything more, "But that's besides the point. The point is, we don't have to be… whatever bad relationship this is between us. We're our own people."

"You lost my family our House-elf." Draco said, "My father told me."

"You're father was also the one that staged the opening of the Chamber of Secrets" Harry replied casually, "And just so you know: Basilisks stares don't discriminate against blood or heritage. It would have killed everyone if I hadn't stopped it."

"You threw mud at me." Draco said as Harry chuckled.

"You have to admit, that was funny." Harry said, but the look on Draco's face said that he didn't have to, and that it wasn't, "Okay, okay. Sorry about that one."

"Apology accepted, Potter." Draco said stiffly with his head held high.

"Also… there is another reason I wanted to get us on good terms." Harry said, "I know it all now, Draco… the debts, the formation, the charms, your heritage, the contracts… Everything…"

"What?" Draco demanded, looking murderous, "Did Dumbledore-?"

"No." Harry said quickly as he got off the barrier and stood in front of Draco, standing a few inches taller than the blond, "I read my family history, as well as wizarding culture and other things."

"Then you should know how hurt and angry I've been ever since you refused my hand in friendship?" Draco demanded as Harry sighed and lowered his head.

"Yeah, I know…" Harry said, "And I'm sorry about that. Can't we just… start over?"

"I don't think your friends would very much like that." Draco snarled as he turned away from Harry, "Besides… we're already on opposite sides."

"No we're not, Draco." Harry said softly, "You are not your father."

"I have his name." Draco said just as softly as he crossed his arms, his back still turned to Harry.

"Yes, as your middle name." Harry argued, "You are Draco Lucius Malfoy, and are your own person. Don't be like your father, Draco. It's disgraceful."

"How dare you!" Draco spat venomously as he turned around to face Harry, his wand pointed in Harry's face, "My father is a respectable my of the highest standing!"

Harry looked at the blonde appraisingly, deciding that he would have to make things more blunt than he had initially wanted to in order to make Draco see the truth.

"No. No, he's not." Harry sighed as he gently lowered Draco's wand, "If he was so respectable, then with did he follow a madman's quest for destruction and power?"

"Because the Dark Lord would have ruled all if it weren't for you and Dumbledore." Draco said as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Harry asked as Draco looked indecisive, "Draco, Voldemort is and forever shall be a cruel, twisted, evil man. Your father, who is supposed to be setting a good example for you would bow and kiss the feet of Voldemort if they both stood before us today."

"My father-!"

"Let me finish." Harry said as Draco moved to object, "Your father, despite what you see as an embodiment of wealth and influence in the wizarding world, is nothing more than a ruthless bigot, a shrewd, and an opportunistic social climber who treats those around him very cruelly. He callously utilized 11 year-old Ginny Weasley in an attempt to both discredit her father, Mr. Weasley, in the Ministry, and remove Albus Dumbledore from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"So what?" Draco asked as Harry sighed. Here it went…

"Draco, that attempt was the reason the Chamber opened and would have resulted in her death, not to mention the death of many others at the school, if I hadn't intervened."

"… Go on…" Draco said after a pause, lowering his wand as Harry saw him pale slightly at the mention of people dying.

"Lucius' slick demeanor can only thinly conceal his cowardly side." Harry said as Draco looked ready to argue, but Harry held up a hand to silence him, "Your father only appeals to whichever side would be more beneficial to his social advancement. From what I've learned, your father was never unconditionally loyal to any side, because he didn't want to be put in a bad light with people on either end." Harry said as Draco nodded, that last part sounding like his father and what his father had taught him.

"In fact, rather than going to find Voldemort when the madman lost all his powers in the first place, your father instead pretended to have seen the error of his ways and tried to ingratiate himself to the Ministry of Magic." Harry said as Draco opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing. That was totally his father…

"However, I'm not so biased against your father that I would stand here and say only the bad things about him." Harry said as Draco looked up at him, "Lucius, despite what I had initial believed, cares for you and your mother, perhaps even all his family, very much, and despite all the bad stories about him, he is capable of feeling genuine love."

"What stories said he wasn't?" Draco asked as Harry shrugged.

"I'll tell you later." Harry promised as Draco nodded for Harry to go on.

"Over the last month, I've noticed how your parents are very indulgent and protective of you, their only child." Harry said as Draco chuckled lowly.

"Yeah, well, he also has these high expectations for me." Draco admitted, "He even scolded and punished me for being beaten academically by your friend, Granger. I guess he'll also send me a strongly worded letter when he finds out that you're now beating me too.."

"Never the less," Harry said, "I'm sure of myself when I say that when the time comes for your father to prove himself, he'll show that his family is more important to him than serving Voldemort." Harry said as Draco smiled, glad that someone besides himself had some form of confidence in his father.

"So what have you proved?" Draco asked, putting his wand away, "Other than the fact that my father is, in fact, a great man."

"He's not, Draco." Harry said, "At least… not yet."

"Then what?" Draco demeaned as Harry gave him a sharp look.

"Your father is supposed to be some big-shot in this world, but he serves a madman who would kill anyone in the way of his quest for world domination. He bows to this insane man, and there is something you should know about Voldemort." Harry said, as he could still see doubt in Draco's stormy grey eyes.

"What?"

"Voldemort… is a Half-blood…" Harry said as Draco's jaw dropped.

"No way… You're making that up!" Draco shouted as Harry sighed.

"I'm not. You can ask Dumbledore or even your own father, who must know because of the diary."

"Diary?"

"Yes, a diary that was used to hold a piece of Voldemort's soul and one which possessed Ginny to open the Chamber of Secrets." Harry said, "I'll explain more at some other time."

"Fine, go on." Draco urged, wanting to know more as he still had his doubts.

"Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry said as Draco's jaw dropped… again, "Hold on… there was this thing that piece of Voldemort's soul showed me when I faced him in the Chamber."

With that, Harry got out his wand and began to draw in the middle of the air between him and Draco. Red lines followed his wand, writing out the very name he had just told Draco.

"Okay… what?" Draco asked as Harry began to rearrange the letters to form "I Am Lord Voldemort", making Draco gasp. Whether it was true or not was still debatable, but he knew it was impressive none the less. Plus, he had heard the name Tom Riddle somewhere…

"Anything more you want to tell me?" Draco said, "Because you should know that I plan on going to Professor Snape with this knowledge."

"He already knows." Harry said, "In fact, he knows that I know, and that it would be me who told you all this."

"Then get on with it." Draco said, "It's starting to get cold out here."

"The truth is… Voldemort's going to rise again someday if not soon." Harry said, "And it's nearly unquestionable that your father is going to join him again."

"And what about you?" Draco asked, seeing where Harry was going with this.

"Me?" Harry blinked before giving Draco a sharp and determined look, "I plan on going to stopping him before he hurts any innocent people. I'm going to put Voldemort down like the rabid dog he truly is. The real question here, that we can both see where I going, is what side are you going to be on, Draco? Mine or Voldemort?"

"I don't know…" Draco responded truthfully, "But there have been things I've been thinking about."

"Like what?" Harry asked curiously as Draco looked up at him.

"The Dark Lord is getting old, right?" Draco asked as Harry nodded.

"Yes, he went to Hogwarts about fifty years ago with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall." Harry answered as Draco nodded, those words giving him a start to see if this Tom Riddle truly was the Dark Lord.

"Well, you're entering your prime." Draco said as Harry looked amused, but slightly confused, "The entire Wizarding World is going to rally behind you when the Dark Lord returns. While some wouldn't get involved or just killed by the Dark Lord, most will look to you for hope and determination. When they see that you're willing to fight, and that Dumbledore is standing by your side, then they help you in anyway they can, right?"

"I suppose…" Harry said slowly, trying to determine where this line was going.

"The point is, while the Dark Lord has… what, maybe a few hundred Purebloods, you'll have everyone else if you act fast enough." Draco said as Harry now understood what was happening.

"You mean for me to recruit and rally the world against Voldemort." Harry said as Draco nodded quietly, "Dumbledore has the same ideas, but I've only made contact with the Vampires and a few Werewolves in the world."

"Not a problem." Draco said, "The point is, if you're truly convinced that the Dark Lord will return, then I mean to honor those Life-Debts and contracts the Malfoy family has with your own."

"Draco, you _do_ realize what that means, right?" Harry asked seriously, looking Draco in the eyes, "It means that you'll become my-"

"Not a problem." Draco assured quietly with a slight tremor in his tone, "I've seen what you're truly capable of… Starkid…"

"You know?" Harry asked loudly, his eyes wide beyond all belief, "How? When?"

"I was up last night… I saw you flying." Draco said, "It doesn't take long to put two and two together, Potter. Especially since the Daily Prophet reported that Starkid could fly without the aid of a broom. Not to mention the description is your basic natural profile."

"I _knew_ I should have swept my hair back for that photo." Harry cursed as Draco smirked.

"The only reason the other Slytherins wrote it off one of your relatives, or secret twin, is because they know how piss-poor your vision is without your glasses. My seeing you fly Granger and Weasley into Gryffindor tower was the only thing that tipped me off and you've just confirmed it." Draco said, gesturing to him.

"So… you know…?" Harry asked, still slightly taken back that Draco had figured it out just from seeing him fly, "What were you doing outside at four in the morning?"

"Bullying kids on the Quidditch Pitch." Draco answered with a shrug as Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Well, stop." Harry said as Draco merely shrugged again, "So what now?"

"Now I know what you can really do, and it'll be more than a match for anything Voldemort can throw at you." Draco said, "I want to be on the winning side, Potter. I plan to be. Not on the side of the Light, but on your side only."

"So… you're only working for me." Harry said with a shake of his head, "No one else, huh? I guess that's why you want to enact those debts and contracts; so there will be no question as to where your loyalties will truly lie."

"Yes." Draco sniffed with his head held high with pride, "Originally, I had planned to blackmail you about your superhero identity and powers, but when you brought up knowing about the contracts…"

"I see." Harry said, and he truly understood, "Then you should know that I could now make your life miserable beyond recognition should you have a slip of the tongue."

"Noted." Draco said, crossing his arms once more, "But I'll need your… special brand of help if you want my friendship."

"Draco, I'm not using my powers for anything bad." Harry said as Draco looked at him as though he just remembered something.

"Wait a minute! Can you see through walls and stuff?" Draco asked as Harry blinked in confusion, "Was that why you had been staring at dumbly at the wall in the corridor two weeks ago? Because I happen to know that the girls'-"

"So, what is it that you need my help with, anyway?" Harry hurriedly asked as Draco glared up at him.

"I'm good at potions, and with your helping the world as I've read, you'll need a few things. I also need a few things, ones that even my parents refuse to give me. I've already resigned myself to you, but not without some… comforts, if you will." Draco said as Harry gave him a soft look.

"Draco…" Harry said before he shook his head, "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do."

"As I've said, I want a few comforts." Draco said as Harry sighed.

"Fine, name them." Harry said as Draco smirked.

"Oh don't worry… I will." Draco said as Harry took in the sly look that crossed the blonde's face. Now he was truly worried…

* * *

Harry dressed in his best casual day clothes as confidently and sneakily slipped out of the Slytherins dormitory. He traveled in long striding steps out of the castle and to the edge of Black Lake where he took to jogging around while being sure that no one was near. Seeing that everyone was inside, and no one was within the immediate area, Harry took in a deep breath before he dived into the lake, super-swimming through the murky waters and bursting to the surface along the mountain-side far away from the school. Rising into the air and floating just above the surface of the water, Harry spelled his clothes dry before flying up to the mountain while pulling away his clothes, revealing his the symbol of the House of Re, otherwise now associated with that of Starkid.

"Bruce is going to scold a hole through my head when he finds out about this…" Harry whined as he placed his clothes atop the mountain and flew away in his costume, "Rao only knows how he'll flip when I tell him that Draco, my now former arch-rival, found out my secret identity. Not to mention the fact of some of the things he wants me to get him…"

Arriving within minutes to Gotham, Harry took a detour from the usual route to Wayne Manor and went flying down a mountain road where it ended in a turn-away sign. Harry plainly ignored the sign and sped past it as he went into the cave behind it. Being able to see, even in the bleak darkness of the cave, Harry shot up, then down the cave's passages until he saw light at the end of a curved tunnel that only he could get into as a straight up shot in the bedrock.

"Bruce!" Harry called as he flew through into the Batcave, "We've got problems."

"So I've heard." Bruce said, in a normal shirt and trousers, "What's your problem, because Diana is grounded for promising herself to help the world of mankind. Her mother is furious, and so is John's."

"Oh…" Harry said, not having realized that he had caused his new friends such troubles, "I'll go and speak with Diana's mother, and you can handle John's. Once she sees that the very rich Bruce Wayne is friends with her son, I'm sure she'll ease up. Especially because I don't think she knows about us being heroes or having powers."

"That's a plan." Bruce said, turning back to his computer and hacking away at the keyboard, "Now what's your problem?"

"Draco Malfoy knows about me… as Starkid…" Harry admitted, and flinched as Bruce turned on him quickly as he expected with his best most fierce glare.

"What?" Bruce demanded angrily as he picked up a baseball and threw it so hard at Harry that it shattered against the boy's forehead, though Harry only flinched when Bruce got up from his chair, "You idiot!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Harry defended, "I had this terrible nightmare, and then shot heat beams at one of my dormmates. I raced out of the room as fast as I could, and flew up to the highest tower. How was I supposed to know he'd be bullying people outside in the snow?"

"Because he's a bully and because you have super-vision, you moron!" Bruce roared as Harry shook the dust from the baseball out of his hair.

"Well, it's okay because he's on my side now." Harry said as Bruce looked unconvinced, "See, in the wizarding world, we have these things called Life-debts, which means that you when one person saves your life, you basically owe them your life for the rest of your life. It's very rare, and can only be formed in dire situations." Harry explained as Bruce scowled.

"And this Draco Malfoy owes you one?" Bruce asked, not believing it, "Because when I said for you to extend a hand of friendship, I didn't mean to enslave him."

"Well, no, he doesn't exactly owe me one." Harry said, "Look, magic is complicated, but the basics of it is that Draco's family owes my family a lot. I mean, like, their entire being and all. There are contracts, vows, marriages, debts, spells, and all kinds of things. The point is, Draco wants to repay and set right these things which his family has to."

"By doing what exactly?" Bruce asked as Harry's cheeks colored.

"Things we'll hold off on until we're older." Harry assured as he cleared his throat, feeling it go dry, "For now though, he'll simply be a… servant of sorts without the actual servitude."

"So he'll follow your commands, but you're too nice of a guy to make him completely your slave?" Bruce questioned, already knowing the answer, "And you've given him a choice in the matter as well." seeing Harry nod, Bruce scowled darkly at him, "You're too soft."

"I know… I know… I'd never make it in Gotham…" Harry said, having heard it all before.

"So what does the princess want exactly?" Bruce asked as Harry floated over to him.

"He wants a life of luxury beyond that of even his family's power." Harry said, "A life that only someone like you or me could give him. Jewels, servants, huge mansion, fancy clothes, cooks, gardens… The works, and all of them."

"Uppity little minx, isn't he?" Bruce asked, a brow raised as Harry pulled out a list and showed it to him. A flicker of disbelief flashed in Bruce's eyes at one of the demands, "No way in all nine circles of Hell."

"Come on, Bruce, it won't be that bad. I mean, it's one of the only things on here that you would-"

"Fine!" Bruce said, knowing that Harry wouldn't give up, and was too nice to deny a new friend anything, "But if a single one of your magic people come knocking on this mansion's door, I have the right and authority to put a batarang through them."

"Don't you mean bullet?" Harry asked as Bruce, quick as a flash, threw something at Harry, who just as quickly caught the device. Looking down at his hand, he noticed a thin healing cut along his palm as he gazed down at the metallic bat-themed boomerang.

"No, I do mean batarang." Bruce said as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously, who makes these kinda things for you and keeps their mouths shut?" Harry asked as Bruce smirked.

"I have my sources." was all Bruce admitted as Harry pouted, having wanted to know who would make such dangerous and sharp weapons for a teenager.

"This thing is made of… titanium. They're really sharp, too." Harry said, showing Bruce his slow healing cut, "After the last few weeks, the only thing that's been able to cut me was a stray hex from one of the seventh year Slytherins."

"Didn't you say you were vulnerable to magic?" Bruce asked as he took back his batarang.

"_Everyone_ is vulnerable to magic." Harry said, "I also don't know all the capabilities of my powers yet, and I know there are still powers I've yet to discover."

"I'm sure there are." Bruce drawled, "But you don't have them or don't know you have them right now. Any other reason for coming here?"

"I wanted to give you this." Harry said, handing over a large stack of papers that Bruce had not clue where he had pulled them from.

"This is all more information about Kryptonian technologies and how to make them here on Earth." Bruce said dryly as Harry shot him a look.

"Well, if you don't want them." but Bruce didn't hand them back to him as he sat back down to his computer.

"I'll have the guys down at my labs begin working on anything I deem fit for humanity at the moment." Bruce said, typing away at his large computer as he began feeding the papers through a scanner.

"That's fine." Harry said, "Most of it is just medical machinery and transportation designs anyway."

"Have you heard from Kid Flash or J'onn Jones since yesterday's meeting?" Bruce asked, not pausing in his work.

"No." Harry admitted with a sigh, "I know Wally is working with the Flash, though, but J'onn has always had this way of disappearing perfectly after talking. If he needs anything or we do, he'll contact us."

"I'm sure." Bruce said dryly as he glanced up at Harry, seeing the teen's far-away look

"Go. I'll monitor from here." Bruce said, and with that, Harry blurred from the Batcave to wherever there was danger.

"Malfoy, huh…? " Bruce said, going into his computer's files of every noble English family's history, "Originated in France… Immigrated to England during the early 16th century… completed moved before the French revolution… Two generations after that, the family rose to House-status… Fall onto hard times… Mysterious out of hard times… kinship with the old House of Potter… Fall in with the fanatics of the time…" Bruce muttered as he skimmed through the files, "Geez, this kid's family is screwed-up. They gave their daughters to House Potter until they produced heirs, and every other son produced by the daughters would go back to the Malfoy family. Even some of the boys to the Malfoy family became catamites to the young Lords of House Pot-" then he figured it all out, " That's what the Malfoy boy's plan is! He's going to be Harry's toy, and get the easy life out while not having to lift a finger all due to their heritage!"

Bruce sat back in his chair, steeping his hands in front of his face as he thought.

"But Harry must have known this…" Bruce muttered to himself as he recalled earlier.

* * *

"_And this Draco Malfoy owes you one?" Bruce asked, not believing it, "Because when I said for you to extend a hand of friendship, I didn't mean to enslave him."_

"_Well, no, he doesn't exactly owe me one." Harry said, "Look, magic is complicated, but the basics of it is that Draco's family owes my family a lot. I mean, like, their entire being and all. There are contracts, vows, marriages, debts, spells, and all kinds of things. The point is, Draco wants to repay and set right these things which his family has to."_

"_By doing what exactly?" Bruce asked as Harry's cheeks colored._

"_Things we'll hold off on until we're older." Harry assured as he cleared his throat, feeling it go dry, "For now though, he'll simply be a… servant of sorts without the actual servitude."_

* * *

"So why is he simply allowing it to happen?" Bruce said to himself, "Or… does he not have any way out of it either?"

"I'm back!" Harry announced as Bruce hastily logged off the page and brought back up the files for the technology when Harry came flying in with a wet cloth and wiping his face with it, "You will not believe how hard it is to seal a patch under a sinking ship while keeping sharks from eating all the idiots that jump over board to "save themselves". I'm telling you, Bruce, it's pretty bleeding difficult."

"I'll simply take your word for it." Bruce said.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked as he saw the look on Bruce's face.

"I'm glanced at the Malfoy family history." Bruce said, "I'm not impressed."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Historians aren't only in your realm of magic and fairies." Bruce quipped dryly, "They have documents on the family's history and actions, not that they'd know as they don't deal with anything… non-magical."

"I know what you mean." Harry said, "I was more than a bit surprised with what my family's done before recent centuries."

"Yes, like keeping catamites in pederastic relationships?" Bruce asked toneless as Harry shrugged.

"Who are we to judge what they did?" Harry said, though he did look slightly green at the idea, "You must have figured out what Draco was really up to, huh?"

"Yes, I did." Bruce said, leaning forward in his chair, "He's using you to his own benefit. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill you after you've completed whatever he really needs you alive for."

"Draco wouldn't kill me." Harry said, "Because if he did, he'd be left with nothing and have betrayed his father for nothing. He'd be a beggar on the streets faster than you can say Gotham."

"And I can say Gotham pretty quickly." Bruce said, smirking slightly before leaning back on his chair, "Then why become your slave. If I'm reading things right between the two of you, he'd rather punch you than serve you. He seems too proud from what you've told me."

"He is, but he knows me well." Harry shrugged as he floated up next to Bruce, leaning on the desk part of the console, "He knows that I'd never just outright enslave anyone to my will. It's sort of why I want so much to stop Voldemort and why my nightmares play havoc with me. I'd feel horrible about it every step of the way if I made someone do something against their will."

"And Draco sees this, and uses it to his own advantage in dealing with you. But stil, there's more to it..." Bruce said, "He's cunning and ruthless, not putting on any kid gloves with even a hapless sap like you."

"Yeah, that's sorta what I like about him. He treats _everyone_ like they're below him." Harry chuckled as Bruce merely watched him.

"There's a reason you're just allowing this." Bruce said, "What is it?"

"My alien hormones playing havoc with my body. Making me want some of the people I know." Harry said with a shrug as Bruce turned away, his cheeks a little red.

"Forget I asked." Bruce said as Harry laughed.

"Don't worry your pretty little rich boy head, Bruce." Harry said, "Draco is the only boy so far. I think my alien hormones have a thing for blondes, because I also _really_ want this girl I know named Luna Lovegood."

"Oh?" Bruce asked, raising a brow as he turned back to Harry, "Anyone else?"

"Not really." Harry said, "Just the normal teenage hormones catching and peeking on any cute girl that passages my way."

"You peek at girls?" Bruce asked, his brow still raised, "Perv…"

"I like to call it, being the average boy with superpowers and too much time on his hands." Harry shrugged as Bruce scoffed at him.

"Well, if that's everything…" Bruce said, going back to his computer, "Are you coming over for Christmas?"

"Yup!" Harry chirped, "I'll even go and find the others so we can seen Christmas afternoon here." Harry got up to leave, "Mind if I use your fireplace?"

"Go ahead. I've put in flameproof metals around it ever since you came waltzing through the other day." Bruce said without turning to him.

"See ya, Bruce!" Harry called as he flew up toward the staircase.

"Goodbye, nimrod." Bruce called, though the smile he held on his face spoke volumes more than he would have liked.

Especially since Harry could partially see it while leaving…

* * *

_**I'm gonna end the chapter here. I had wanted to write a scene with Harry and Sirius at number 12 Grimmauld Place, but just couldn't find a way to capture it the way I had planned. I wrote it, and rewrote it, and wrote it again, and it just never seemed to come out right to me.**_

_**Harry and Sirius were supposed to have this happy (and witty) chat about how much Harry is growing and how Harry is becoming a true hero to the people of Earth as Sirius shows Harry to Daily Prophet, a muggle London paper, and even a taped new recording from the television that Harry got the house and Sirius as an early Christmas gift.**_

_**Then, in the midst of their witty banter, Sirius accidentally calls Harry "James". Harry grows sad, and tells Sirius that he his not his earth father, but is deeply proud to be his son. Sirius apologizes for the slip of the tongue, and when the two hug, Sirius is reminded of the life he could have with Harry had he not gone catching Wormtail. Sirius then promises that no matter what happens, he'll allows be there for Harry whenever Harry needs him, and it reminds Harry that he isn't strong because of his superpowers, but because he has friends and loved ones that support him and love him unconditionally.**_

_**Harry leaves as Sirius jumps on the couch to watch "**__**The X-Men**__**" and gets an idea to better help and be there for Harry while writing down the things he sees. Sirius, however, doesn't know that Hermione and Ron have already hatched the same hero-scheme weeks ago.**_

_**This information will be included in the story at some later point, but for now my brain dumped me when I tried the idea.**_

_**Also, to those that are worried: **_**HARRY IS **_**NOT**_** GAY!**_** He just somewhat finds Draco attractive, but that is the work of a deal done by Draco and a sneaky sorceress by the name of Morgan Le Fay… (Yet another scene that I couldn't put right, but it will show up in the next chapter no matter what!)**_


	4. Christmas with Capes!

**A/N: Ya know what I've always wanted to see done; a Harry Potter as a kung-fu master story. Something like the IP man, or Kung-Fu Panda. Like Harry owning a dojo, or an AU where he moves to London to open a dojo and people like Dumbledore, Voldemort, Fudge, and Snape are the resident masters of the place and he has to do stuff to gain their respect. Or one where he battles a wayward student who thought they would be "the Chosen One" when it was truly Harry who was the Chosen One to stop them. In fact… I like that last idea. Harry could be a Kung-Fu master destined to defeat his fallen apprentice Tom Riddle who went evil and claimed the title Lord Voldemort by having killed the last master (Kung-Fu Warlord Grindelwald) and taken over his dojo.**

**In fact, lets make that a Challenge. Whoever can write a story like that, I'd be impressed. I'm not sure of a prize for the winner, but I'd gladly give them a sneak peek at the next chapter of any story they want, or even write a story they think would be good.**

**Well, that's my ponderings for the day. And congrats to you guys, you have just got a taste of how I come up with these stories of mine.**

**Now on with this story! And don't forget to REVIEW so I can know what you guys and gals think!**

**Chapter 4: Christmas with Capes!**

* * *

"And you're sure this will work?" a drawling voice asked skeptically as a curvy woman hidden away in the shadows smiled behind her mask.

"Do not take my powers lightly, Draco Malfoy. It will work, and shall have the results you requested." the woman said, "However, do not forget to hold up your end of this bargain. My son needs his throne."

"And he'll get it." Draco sneered, holding up something shiny before in a flash it was placed deep within his robes, "So long as this little trinket works it's powers."

"Your master, Harry Potter, will not approve of this meeting or it's purpose, Draco Malfoy." the woman said with an air of mysterious dread, "What shall you do when he comes to know of it?"

"Sweet talk him, of course." Draco said, waving a hand dismissively as he smirked, "After all, it was by my own heritage and your magic that I'm finally so close to him."

"If you had not ruined our plan that first year with your foolishness, then we would already have success within our grasp and the world in our palms." the woman hissed as Draco glared, knowing the woman was glaring at him behind her mask.

"I was a child then!" Draco defended, "You taught me to never send a child to do a man's job."

"Then perhaps I need to finally find a man to fulfill our plans." the woman said, "For all that is before me is a mouse. Or perhaps I need a woman? Daphne Greengrass is said to hold some favor with the boy."

"Only because the shrew is good-looking for now!" Draco raged as the woman mocked his jealousy for Harry's attention being on the Greengrass girl with cruel laughter, "Her looks shall fade with time, and it's the only thing she has for him. I, however, hold so much more."

"Growing attached, are we?" the woman asked with mirth as Draco growled.

"Not at all." Draco said, his hand lingering in his robes, "The only thing that I'm attached to is the life of luxury I live, which by this time next year, will be elevated to that of a God."

"…-_dess_…" the woman added, smirking beneath her mask, "He will treat you and any other he claims as a goddess, a princess… Queens, and ladies fair… However, you know what is required of you. My son needs his throne, and the boy will need his heir."

Draco's face turned red at the mention of an heir. Oh, if only he could see the look on his father's face when someone told him that his only son and heir would be-

"Draco! You wake yet?" a stupid voice asked as the person rapped loudly at the door, "Can we come back into the room? It's cold in the common room, and Marcus keeps giving us these looks."

"It seems that our time is done, Draco Malfoy…" the woman said, moving deeper into the shadows as she faded from the room, "…if only for the moment. Do not forget your end of the deal. My son must have his throne. Only then shall your life of Godly luxury be secured."

"Don't worry," Draco assured with a look that appeared to be a painful mix between disdain and bliss, "your brat shall have his throne. Of that, you can be certain."

"Good." the woman purred like a content mother lion, "Until we meet again, Draco Malfoy…"

"Yeah, yeah." Draco said, looking annoyed with the masked woman's dramatics, "Good bye." he then glared at the spot where the woman disappeared, wanting to throw something.

He would not be treated like some bloody girl by that bastard! … though, if it did get him his life of ultimate luxury- Wait, no! Not even then! He would rather be a beggar in the streets than have his masculinity stripped away from him!

Yeah, that is what he'd keep telling himself until the day came… then he'd make the decision…

* * *

"Hermione, I don't want to hear anymore about House-elf liberation today." Harry said, shoving a chocolate frog into Hermione's mouth as her eyes widened beyond belief, "It's Christmas Eve, and I won't have you tainting it with trying to curse the little twisted happiness of the House-elves."

"Yeah, 'Mione." Ron said from where he was coming down the stairs as they made their way to the Great Hall, "We have other stuff to worry about; like our special project!"

"Oh no, not you guys too!" Seamus exclaimed as he turned to face Harry, Ron, and Hermione (who was swallowing the kicking leg of the chocolate frog with a prim expression) while Dean was at his side, "Helping Fred and George, are ya? Well, we're not sitting anywhere near you three if you are."

"Not that, Seamus, no." Harry said, looking very amused as he was the only one in the House to not have been turned into a canary by the twins. It was only thanks to his super-nose that he could detect the scent of potion the twins used after he had sniffed the biscuit they had gotten Ron with. Though the twins had always confined in him that they were working on something else, and he made a mental note to be sure and politely decline anything they might give him, "We're talking about another project that only the three of us have going on."

"Well don't leave us in suspense, mate!" Dean said excitedly, "What is it?"

"We're trying to make jewelry that will give people the power to fly." Hermione declared after she finished the edible frog off, "Rings- to be more specific."

"Flight rings, huh?" Seamus said, stroking his chin, "That's way better than the twins pranks! It'd be brilliant to be able to fly without a broom! Sorta like that superhero. Ya know- Starkid!"

"That's where the idea came from." Ron admitted, "Read the paper, and all. Saw him flying away, and thought how bloody brilliant that'd be. Then the twins started cranking out prank-stuff, and it went from there."

"Well let us know if we can help." Seamus said as Dean nodded, "Wanna try one of those if they work. We could be superheroes, too! Not gonna be hard to help a few muggles, what with magic and all."

"That we will." Harry said, though his face didn't hold the grin that would have normally accompanied his amused tone.

"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked as they walked into the Great Hall and took up seats at the Gryffindor table.

"What Seamus said made me think and remember a few things." Harry said as Hermione and Ron moved in close to him, leaning over the table, "Remember when I was reading up on Wizarding Laws last week?"

"Yeah, mate." Ron said as Hermione nodded.

"Well, the wizarding law says that all underage wizards have a this thing on them called The Trace." Harry explained as he too leaned forward.

"The Trace?" Hermione echoed in confusion, "What is that?"

"The Trace is a Charm put on wizards and witches who are under seventeen years-old." Harry explained as Ron and Hermione hung on his words, "The law states that when any magical activity is performed in the vicinity of the underage individual, the Improper Use of Magic Office within the Ministry of Magic is alerted to the spell that was used and to the location of the caster and the time."

"I get it!" Hermione said, quickly catching on, "That trace is how the Ministry is able to track underage magic, which is banned under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery!"

"That's right." Harry said with a nod.

"Now that I think about it, I've heard this before." Ron said, looking deep in thought, "My dad said something about it before. Said that it'd go away and break on your seventeenth birthday. Said it was impossible for the Trace to function on a person over the age of seventeen, and that it couldn't be placed on an adult."

"That's right." Harry said, "If you guys go out and help me, then you wouldn't be able to do magic… at least, not with your wands."

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked, "The Trace isn't in our wands, is it?"

"I'm not sure…" Harry replied, "I mean, the Ministry blamed me when Dobby used magic at my house in Second year, so it my not exactly be in the wands. It might be just be the area we use magic in. However, there's also accidental magic to take into account and the fact that you, Hermione, mentioned on the ride here in First year that you had tried out a few spells and never received any notices from the Ministry."

"You're right." Hermione said quietly, having completely forgotten about her feeble spell-casting before First year. But then, if she had only mentioned it in a single simple conversation…

… how had Harry remembered it after so long…? Was it one of his powers? Some form of total recall or impressive memorization, or something…?

"That means the Trace might be applied after we start school, or at least, while we're school students, because most graduate by their seventeenth birthdays." Harry said.

"So how will we get around it?" Ron asked as Harry's face set in a determined look.

"I'll think of something…" Harry muttered, taking notice of his breakfast and pumpkin juice, "For now, let's eat."

Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.

"Does she do anything else?" Hermione said under her breath, though Harry heard her with his superb hearing, causing him to stifle a chuckle.

"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard Fleur grumble grumpily as they left the Great Hall behind her one evening. Ron was skulking behind Harry, keen not to be spotted by Fleur.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's already forgotten you." Harry assured, though his smirk didn't help much.

"But his hair does kind of stick out, not that easy to forget." Hermione teased as Ron scowled.

"I will not fit into my dress robes!" Fleur continued as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Oooh, there's a tragedy." Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the Entrance Hall, "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?" Harry decided not to say anything.

"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked suddenly as Harry nearly rolled his own eyes along with Hermione.

Ron kept springing the question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it.

However, Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."

"You're joking, Weasley!" Draco said, behind them, though Harry knew he had been there. Draco had a rather intoxicating scent not unlike sweets, "You're not telling me someone's asked _that_ to the ball? Not the long-fanged Granger?"

"Draco, play nice." Harry said, waging a finger at the blond. Draco narrowed his eyes, and was about to snap at Harry when Hermione began waving to somebody over the blond's shoulder.

"Hello, Professor Moody!" Hermione called as Harry smirked when Draco went pale and jumped backward, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione said scathingly with a smirk before she and Ron went up the marble staircase laughing heartily.

"Told you to play nice." Harry said before quickly catching up with his friends right when Draco shouted his name as though he'd hex him into next week.

"Good one, 'Mione." Ron said as he continued laughing, but then he stopped and suddenly frowned, "Hermione… your teeth…"

"What about them?" Hermione asked as Ron looked at her properly while Harry raised a brow.

"Well, they're different… I've just noticed…" Ron said as Hermione gave him an annoyed look.

"Of course they are. Did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?" Hermione said as Harry raised a brow, this "fangs" incident probably having happened while he was out in Gotham or with Sirius.

"No, I mean… they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you… They're all… straight and- and normal-sized." Ron said as Hermione suddenly smiled very mischievously, and Harry noticed it too: it was a very different smile from the one he remembered.

"Well… when I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were." she explained, "And I just… let her carry on a bit." Hermione finished, smiling even more widely as though she were now more proud of her smile.

"What will your parents say?" Harry asked, recalling that her parents were dentists.

"Mum and Dad won't be too pleased." she admitted, "I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should mix."

"You are so grounded when you get home." Harry said with a grin as Ron mirrored him.

"Oh look! Pigwidgeons back!" Hermione yelled distractingly as she pointed up.

"Well, Padfoot did say his letter would get here soon enough when I saw him yesterday…" Harry said as he watched the tiny owl twitter madly on the top of the icicle-laden banisters, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg.

People passing the owl were pointing and laughing, and a group of Third-year girls paused and said, "Oh look at the _wittle_ owl! Isn't he cute?"

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, hurrying up the stairs and snatching up Pigwidgeon, "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!"

Pigwidgeon only hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The Third-year girls all looked very shocked.

"Clear off, brats!" Ron snapped at them, waving the fist holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air, "Here - take it, Harry." Ron added in an undertone as the Third-year girls scuttled away looking scandalized. He pulled Sirius's reply off Pigwidgeons leg, handing it to Harry, who pocketed it before they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to read it.

Everyone in the common room was much too busy in letting off more holiday steam to observe what anyone else was up to. Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat apart from everyone else by a dark window that was gradually filling up with snow, and Harry read out:

* * *

_Dear Harry,_

_Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in the Goblet of Fire shouldn't be feeling too happy right now_!

_I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point_ –

"That's what Krum did!" Hermione whispered –

_But your way was better, I'm impressed_.

_Don't get complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open -particularly when the person we discussed is around and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble. Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual_.

_Signed with pride_-

_Padfoot_

* * *

"He sounds exactly like Moody." Harry said quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes, "Next he'll be on me about constant vigilance. You'd think with the way people talk down to me, that I walk around with my eyes shut while banging off the walls…"

"No, but you do run into a lot of trouble, more than anyone else I know." Hermione said, "But he is right, Harry, you still have two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means."

"I've already done that." Harry said, "About a week ago I tried to solve it again, and suddenly all the screaming started to make sense when I plunged into the English Channel to help that team of explorers. They said it was the mythical language of mermaids, so I researched it when I was back, and they were right."

"Oh… well… what was it?" Hermione asked as Harry shrugged.

"It was a riddle about something being taken from me and I need to retrieve it from the bottom of Black Lake." Harry said, "But, the strange thing was, I got the chance to go through the lake yesterday before visiting Bruce, and didn't see anything of mine there."

"Then you need to find out exactly what's been taken." Hermione said as Harry was growing a bit annoyed. He was the one with super-vision! Did she think that he was blind or something when he searched the lake? Why couldn't she just trust him instead of always pushing him into something?

"Hermione, leave him alone! He's got ages!" Ron snapped, "Want a game of chess, Harry?"

"Yeah, okay…" Harry said quietly, regaining his composure. Then, he saw the look on Hermione's face, "What? I searched the lake with super-vision and saw nothing but rocks, seaweed, and fishy-things. When the second task comes to me, I'll search it again."

"But what if-" but she cut herself off, seeing him grow frustrated with everyone's cuddling and such before she sighed, "Oh, I suppose you're right." she said, and sat down to watch their chess match, which had grown fiercer ever since Harry had gained his powers. The match ended in an exciting checkmate for Ron, involving a couple of recklessly brave pawns and a very violent bishop.

* * *

Harry awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day. Wondering what could have caused his abrupt return to consciousness when he opened his eyes… and saw something with very large, round, green eyes staring back at him in the darkness, so close they were almost nose to nose.

"Dobby! What the bloody hell?" Harry yelled, scrambling away from the House-elf so fast he almost fell out of bed, but floated to his feet, "Don't do that!"

"Dobby is sorry, sir!" Dobby squeaked anxiously, jumping backward with his long fingers over his mouth, "Dobby is only wanting to wish Harry Potter sir a "Happy Christmas" and bring him a present, sir! Harry Potter sir did say Dobby could come and see him sometimes, sir!"

"It's okay." Harry said, calming down quickly, "Just… just next time, prod me or something in future, alright? Don't be over me like that… It's kinda creepy…"

Harry pulled back the curtains around his four-poster, took his fake glasses from his bedside table, and put them on with an annoyed sigh as he saw that his yell had awoken Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. All of them were peering through the gaps in their own hangings, heavy-eyed and tousle-haired.

"Someone attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily.

"Give 'em hell, mate…" Ron said through a yawn as Harry scoffed.

"No, it's just Dobby." Harry said, "You can all go back to sleep."

"Nah… presents!" Seamus said, spotting the large pile at the foot of his bed. Ron, Dean, and Neville decided that now they were awake they might as well get down to some present-opening too. Harry turned back to Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to Harry's bed, still looking worried that he had upset Harry. There was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea cozy.

"Can Dobby give Harry Potter sir his present?" Dobby squeaked tentatively as Harry smiled warmly at the elf, hoping to ease him.

"Of course you can, Dobby." Harry said, then looked ashamed, "But… err… I didn't get you anything… But wait, I can come up with something!"

He felt bad for not having bought anything for Dobby at all, but he quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a particularly knobbly rolled-up pair of socks. They were his oldest and most hated pair with their mustard-yellow coloring. They had once belonged to Uncle Vernon. The reason they were extra-knobbly was that Harry had been using them to cushion his Sneakoscope for over a year now…

…as well as the locket from his parents…

"Glad to know you liked my present." Ron teased from where he was, seeing Harry pull out the Sneakoscope as Harry gave him a look.

"Well, if the bloody thing didn't whistle every time it was out of the socks, I like it better." Harry shot back as Ron only grinned while Harry handed the socks to Dobby, saying, "Sorry, I didn't wrap them and all, but you're here and-…"

Harry shut up as he saw that Dobby was utterly delighted none the less. Glancing down at his trunk and feeling a wave of nausea as well as his head spinning and pounding, Harry quickly kicked the locket deeper into the corner of his trunk where it fell to the bottom and he shut the lid. He still didn't quite understand why the stone made him feel so sick, or what was in his trunk that stopped the feeling, but maybe one day his father's hologram would finally tell him…

…or perhaps Bruce would figure it out…?

"Socks are Dobby's favorite, favoritest clothes, sir!" Dobby said, ripping off his odd ones and pulling on Vernon's, "I has seven now, sir… But sir…" Dobby's eyes widened, having pulled both socks up to their highest extent, so that they reached to the bottom of his shorts, "They has made a mistake in the shop, Harry Potter sir, they is giving you two the same!"

"… crazy little elf." Harry heard Seamus mutter to Dean, who chuckled as Harry thought about how much Sirius would have enjoyed Dobby instead of Kreacher.

"Ahh, no, Harry! How come you didn't spot that?" Ron said, grinning over from his own bed, which was now strewn with wrapping paper, "Tell you what, Dobby - here you go - take these two, and you can mix them up properly. And here's a sweater for bonus."

"That's really generous of you, Ron." Harry said, smiling as Ron shrugged, throwing Dobby a pair of violet socks he had just unwrapped, and the hand-knitted sweater Mrs. Weasley had sent, Dobby looked quite overwhelmed.

"Sir is very kind!" Dobby squeaked, his eyes brimming with tears again, bowing deeply to Ron, "Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter's greatest friend, but Dobby did not know that he was also as generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless -"

"They're only socks and a sweater, Dobby…" Ron said, having gone slightly pink around the ears, though he looked rather pleased all the same, "Wow, Harry -" He had just opened Harry's present to him, a Chudley Cannon hat, "Cool!" Ron jammed the hat onto his head, where it clashed horribly with his hair.

Dobby now handed Harry a small package, which turned out to be - socks!

"Dobby is making them himself, sir!" the elf said happily, "He is buying the wool out of his wages, sir!"

The left sock was bright red and had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green with a pattern of Snitches.

"They're… they're really… I don't know what to say… thanks, Dobby." Harry said, and he pulled the socks on, causing Dobby's eyes to leak with happiness again.

"Dobby must go now, Harry Potter sir, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" Dobby said, and he hurried out of the dormitory, waving good-bye to Ron and the others as he passed.

Harry's other presents were much more satisfactory than Dobby's odd socks – with the obvious exception of the Dursleys', which consisted of a single tissue, an all time low from then, though Harry supposed they were still remembering the Ton-Tongue Toffee.

Hermione had given Harry a book called "_Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland_".

Ron had gifted him with a bulging bag of Dungbombs.

Sirius gave him a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot.

Hagrid had given him a vast box of sweets including all Harry's favorites: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees. Mrs. Weasley's usual package, of course, included a new sweater (green, with a picture of a dragon on it - Harry supposed Charlie had told her all about the Horntail), and a large quantity of homemade mince pies.

"Why does she always make you the good sweater?" Ron huffed, crossing his arms childishly.

"Because she loves me more." Harry joked with a smile as Ron scoffed, flashing a smile back at him.

"That's what I thought. I knew I should have never let her meet you. You're just too much of a case for mothers to resist." Ron said as he and Harry laughed.

"Oh, look here." Harry said, "Here's a gift from Bruce."

"What is it?" Ron asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought of a gift from a super rich kid.

"It's… an expensive suit…" Harry said, unwrapping the gift, "And there's a card. It says, "someone has to make you look decent and presentable to any formal occasion since you obviously don't try"… I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"That's boring." Ron said, referring to the suit, "He could have gotten you just about anything in the world, and he gets you a formal dress suit. Granted, it's probably more than my family spends and earns in a year, but still…"

"I guess he thought I could where it to the Yule Ball." Harry said with a sigh, placing the suit away in his trunk, "Sadly, this suit will probably outshine my dress robes."

"It does look good, I'll give the guy that." Ron offered, "If Mum gives me those horrid dress robes the twins keep making me think about, can I wear the suit? It'd save me some embarrassment at least."

"Sure thing." Harry said, "I've been wanting to try my duplicating spell anyway."

"Cool!" Ron said, "Even better: magic-made suit. McGonagall will be so mad, but she won't be able to say anything!"

"And we can even alter it with transfiguration into dress robes." Harry offered, "I've been meaning to practice that as well."

"Good. You get practice with your spell work, and I get a cool suit and not become a laughingstock. It's bloody win-win!" Ron said as he and Harry left the room to meet up with Hermione in the common room.

* * *

After talking about what they received, the trio went down to breakfast together. They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents.

While on their way return to the Great Hall for lunch, Harry stopped with a smile as he pulled his friends aside.

"I'm going to Bruce's mansion this afternoon. Wanna come?" Harry asked as Ron nodded quicker than Harry thought safe for his head while Hermione purged her lips, having to think about it.

"Can you get us back before five?" Hermione asked as Harry scoffed.

"You've obviously never flown Air Starkid Potter before." Harry said with a grin as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Of course we haven't." Hermione said, "It'd be too dangerous."

"Yeah, you're right." Harry said with a sigh, "I guess we'll just have to take the Floo in Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Bruce's mansion is on the Floo network?" Ron asked incredulously as Harry made a gesture, tilting his hand as though it were a scale.

"It's iffy, ya know. It's on the network, but can be cut off and on by me, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus. They all visit him sometimes, just so he isn't by himself with only his butler Alfred as company." Harry explained as Hermione and Ron nodded.

"Okay then." Hermione said, "We'll leave after lunch."

One magnificent lunch later, which had included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings as well as a large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers, Harry and friends were walking up to the gargoyle which protected the Headmaster's office. Seeing him, the stone beast leapt back to reveal the spiral staircase up to Dumbledore's office.

"I thought you needed a password to get into the Headmaster's office?" Hermione asked, her jaw dropping as Harry turned back to her, having started the climb up the stairs.

"Normally, you do, but Dumbledore and I are tight." Harry said, "That's what the kids in America say now; tight, cool, and other stuff like that. The point is, I don't need the password to enter Dumbledore's office because he gave me permission to come up at anytime I wanted even if he isn't there, which looking up there now, he isn't."

"I always knew he had a soft spot for you, but this is just blatant favoritism, Harry!" Hermione said as Harry shrugged.

"Look, you can either forget about it and go with me to my billionaire friend's cool mansion…" Harry said as Ron was at his side before he even finished, "… or, you can stick to your morals and be stuck here at Hogwarts watching snowball fights and whatnot."

"Fine." Hermione huffed after a thoughtful pause, "But let it be noted that I do not approve of blatant favoritism no matter whose favor it works in."

"Noted." Harry said, but he quickly grew tired of climbing stairs and flew up to the door, holding it open for Ron and Hermione when they reached it.

"Bloody show-off…" Ron muttered as Harry beamed while Hermione stuck to giggling.

"The fireplace is over here." Harry said, quickly moving to the fireplace and grabbing a hand full of the glittery, silvery Floo powder from one of the jars above the mantle. Summoning a small fire with a wave of his hand, Harry then through the powder in as the flames enlarged and changed color to burn an emerald green just like his own eyes, "Butterbeer!" he shouted at the fire before it flickered blue.

"_Where to_?" the fire responded to his shout.

"The Bat's Place!" Harry said in a loud and clear voice, his tone firm as the flames lashed out before calming somewhat back into their emerald green.

"Ladies first." Harry said, gesturing for Hermione to go into the fireplace.

"How courteous of you." Hermione quipped dryly as she stepped into the flames without any hesitation.

"You next." Harry said as Ron blinked as the flames were still raging green, "Don't worry, it's an open connection until I step through to the other side."

"Oh… Ok… Okay…" Ron said, and reluctantly stepped through as the flames consumed him.

"Tsk. Wimp." Harry said, having heard Ron begin to scream the moment the flames took him. Harry then stepped through himself, leaving the fire in the office to turn docile and orange before going out altogether.

A presence stepped onto the open door of the office, flinging off it's cloak as a fiendish grin overcame it's face. Now the person understand how the boy had been disappearing… But the question was: to where? The person would just have to find out…

* * *

"Wow, Bats," Wally said, looking over his shoulder as Bruce stood a safe distance away from the fireplace when Hermione came through, "When you said they knew how to make an entrance, you weren't kidding."

"A little help here." Hermione said, unable to unlock the gate on the fireplace from inside of it, "Oh! And Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too, cutie." Wally said as he helped Hermione out of the fireplace. Hermione blushed and smiled shyly, showing off her now perfect teeth.

Ron came fumbling down the chimney, flipping and rolling on the floor as he finally stopped in front of Hermione and Wally, both who were still hand-in-hand. He scowled up at them, shaking off soot as he stood. Hermione noticed her hand was still in Wally's and promptly took it back while blushing and smiling.

"Umm… I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione greeted as she shook Wally's hand, "And this is my friend Ron Weasley. We're Harry's friends."

"Gotcha." Wally said, seeing Harry come down the chimney only to flying into the room and land gracefully, "I'm Wally West, better known as Kid Flash. The gloom and doom twins behind me are Bruce Wayne, or Bats, and John Stewart, or Lantern Boy."

"I'm the Green Lantern!" John yelled as Wally shrugged.

"I like Lantern Boy better." Wally said, "Oh! And the quiet one lurking in the shadows that you probably haven't taken notice of yet is J'onn J'onzz, or John Jones… or even Martian Boy if you want."

Hermione looked over to the where Harry was, seeing the emerald-eyed boy striking up a conversation with the really plain looking teen that stood in the shadows before the two came over.

"Thanks again, Bruce for this. I owe you one." Harry said as he shook hands with Bruce, who smirked lightly.

"You've been helping me become an even richer man than I already was. No thanks are necessary." Bruce said, "Besides, you actually owe me seven currently, and I plan to hold those until I really need them."

"Wait, you've been helping this shmuck get _richer_?" Wally said, blurring in front of Harry, "Me, J'onn, and John are the tapped out ones here. Help _us_!"

"Actually, I've already sent anonymous bonuses to your houses in the form of you winning some grand contest." Bruce informed said, "So you should have received them either today or tomorrow."

"That was you!" John asked, his eye wide, "And here I was thinking I had actually won something for _once_ in my life…"

"Don't feel so down, big guy." Wally said, playfully punching the dark-skinned boy, "At least you've got cash now."

"Hey, wait a second!" John exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Bruce, "How the hell do you know where we _live_?"

"Because I'm Batman… err… Bat_boy_." Bruce said with a look that suggested that should have explained everything.

"It's true, you are Batboy." Harry pointed out, and ducked with a chuckle when Bruce swung at him, "Hey, where's Diana?"

"Did you speak to her mother?" Bruce asked with a raised brow as Harry cursed in Kryptonian.

"I knew there was something I forgot." Harry said, "Damn it to bloody hell, I'll have to go and talk to them tomorrow… but, I don't want her to miss out on this."

"No sweat." Wally assured, "You and me can go and kidnap her for the day. We'll even have her back before any of those amazingly hot Amazonian chicks notice."

"Always thinking with the wrong head at the wrong times, I see…" John muttered as Hermione flushed as she heard him.

"Wally's right." Harry said, flying gently up to the window and opening it as Wally blurred into a sitting position in the large window, "Diana is a good girl as far as I've seen, and she shouldn't be punished for what I've gotten her into. While I have a short chat with Diana's mother, Wally can zip around the area until he finds Diana."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Wally said, his red hair blowing slightly in the cold breeze of the day, "I'll change along the way."

"Me, too." Harry said, turning back to his friends, "You'll be okay here, right?"

"Yeah, mate, we'll be fine." Ron assured as Hermione nodded, "You go and get this bird."

"Oh, trust me, dude." Wally said, "Diana is more than a bird. She's a top-notch swan."

Hermione crossed her arms as she saw the looks on Ron and Wally's faces. Even Bruce and John looked somewhat in agreement with the two red-heads. Boys, honestly…

"We'll be back in a flash." Harry said, blurring out of the window with Wally not far behind, both having stripped from their normal mundane clothes and allowing them to fall to the floor of Bruce's mansion.

* * *

"So… how did you all meet Harry?" Hermione asked, trying to make polite conversation.

"He and I met when he crashed landed in my garden." Bruce said, "His first time flying international… or rather, flying at all…"

"I met him when I got this ring." John said with a frown, "He had saved the alien guy from crashing into the ground, but the man was already dying in his arms. They landed in front of me, and well… here we are today."

"What about you, J'onn?" Bruce asked as J'onn stepped forward from the background. The guy could really blend in with his surroundings.

"Harry and I met in space." J'onn said as he morphed into his alien appearance, green skin, tights, and all, "I was coming to this planet from my home-world of Mars, but he and I literally ran into each other."

"Wicked…" Ron breathed in awe as he took in J'onn appearance.

"Wait, so there really is life on Mars?" Hermione asked as J'onn nodded.

"Yes, though I must admit, you teenaged humans seem to take this sort of information a lot better than most normally would." J'onn said with amusement clear in his tone.

"I blame television." John quipped as Bruce raised a brow.

"I blame comics." Bruce said as John threw him a nasty look.

"I blame magic." Ron said, just to be in the conversation, while pulling out his wand.

"I blame Harry…" Hermione sighed with a smirk, and at that, they all laughed as they knew they could always rest the blame of such things on the most eccentric of their friends.

"Who blames me for what?" Harry asked as he came flying through the open window with Diana at his side while Wally blurred into the room with a sandwich.

"What'd we miss?" Wally asked as he swallowed the food in his mouth while Bruce scowled at him.

"We were just talking about how Harry met everyone." Hermione informed as J'onn was still smirking.

"Oh well, that's easy." Wally said, finishing off his sandwich, "Harry and me met when he helped the Flash and me take down Dr. Rewind." Wally informed, "It was an epic battle of-"

"I tapped the guy on the head and he went down before he could even start up his machine to bring the world back into the Stone Age." Harry explained as Wally grumbled.

"You could have made it sound more amazing…"

"Harry, is that a black eye?" Hermione asked as she looked up at him.

"Umm…" Harry said, covering his right eye and shying away as Hermione came over, "Ye-Yeah, it is…"

"H-How…? Wh-What…? Who?" Hermione asked as Harry pointed to Diana.

"Her mum has a bloody good left hook." Harry informed meekly as Diana giggled, "Thankfully, she's allowing Diana this… learning experience. But now I know I can be hurt by people just as powerful or near my own strength."

"So, someone like Diana or John could hurt you badly?" Bruce asked as Harry shrugged.

"Maybe not hurt me badly, but they could probably knock me for a loop… and probably unconscious if push comes to shove." Harry admitted as Bruce nodded, keeping that in mind if it was needed for later.

"I think that's enough of that kinda talk." Wally said, dusting his hands of crumbs, "Let's get to the party part!"

"Indeed." J'onn said, floating up the ceiling rafts where several gifts were hidden, "I have learned much of your Earth customs over the years, and I find them quite interesting."

J'onn came down from the ceiling with many gifts in his arms as he sat them down on the floor in front of the others. It was then that Harry consciously noticed that both Wally and Bruce had disappeared from the room while his attention had been on J'onn. Wally came back into the room with hastily wrapped presents and Bruce came in with a trolley of gifts… and then Alfred came in with another trolley of presents!

"I'm so glad young master Bruce has found so many friends." Alfred said as Bruce turned away, "I was beginning to fear that he would never find others that shared in both his interests and understood him for who he was."

"I think it's Bruce that does the understanding." Harry said as he shook Alfred's hand.

The trolley master Bruce has is all of your presents, master Harry." Alfred said so softly that the man must have known only someone with Harry's super-hearing could hear him, "This one behind me holds the gifts for everyone else. Master Bruce is most fond of you. In the last month, you have become his first and greatest friend."

Harry only smiled as his face felt white hot with embarrassment. He knew he and Bruce were good friends, but wow…

"Merry Christmas, Bruce." Harry said as he walked up to the normally scowling boy and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Bruce looked back at him from over his shoulder and gave a small smile as he nodded once.

"Merry Christmas, Harry." Bruce returned as he gestured to the others, which was Wally speeding around the presents while trying to find his, John using his ring to sort them into neat piles in front of the receivers, J'onn explaining the holiday of Christmas to Diana, and Ron and Hermione exchanging excited looks as presents were being placed in front of them as well, "Guess we should watch them open their gifts."

Not even bothering to stifling their smiles, Harry and Bruce together walked closer to the others with Alfred behind them, all just in time to watch the last pieces of wrapping paper fly through the air as Wally made hasty work of his first present.

"There you are, young master Harry." Alfred said as he pushed the cart of presents wrapped beautifully with shiny expensive bows and shimmering expensive papers in front of Harry.

Bruce said nothing and gave everyone that looked like they were going to make a comment a glare that immediately shut them up and made them look toward their own gifts.

Harry had to admit that he still wasn't so used to receiving actual presents for Christmas, even after four years now. This large pile in front of him only took his power of speech away for minutes as he simply stared at them. He couldn't find his voice until Bruce scowled at him and smacked his arm.

"I didn't spend good money buying these things and having them gift wrapped just so you could stare at them like an idiot." Bruce snapped as Harry blinked back into reality, "Or were you using your X-ray vision to see what they were?"

"No," Harry shook his head, still a little overwhelmed, "I was gawking like an idiot. Thanks Bruce. You did get your present this morning, right?"

"Yes, I did." Bruce said, "How in the name of Gotham you managed to get that is beyond me."

"They're pretty common in the wizarding world." Harry said, "Besides, I think it'll be dead useful while you're out as Batboy."

"Still, it's strange that an invisibility cloak actually exists." Bruce muttered as Harry grinned.

"Not too strange, mind you. I have one that's been in my family since the time of my ancestors." Harry said with a wink as Bruce shrugged.

"Are you going to open your gifts?" Bruce asked as Harry nodded.

* * *

"Bats really knows how to be generous with his cash." Wally said as he and Hermione exchanged grins from their laptops while keeping Ron from beating his when he didn't understand how to cut it on.

"It was really nice of him." Hermione said, "Though I don't think it'll work at our school…"

"Don't worry about that, I've worked around that problem." Bruce said, "Or rather, Harry's alien people have worked around it."

"Oh, well… that's great!" Hermione squeaked happily as her fingers didn't seem to type fast enough for her.

"How does this… CB-fayer work, Hermione?" Ron asked as he poked the compact device with his wand several types.

"Oh, honestly Ronald…" Hermione said with a roll of her eyes as she sat her laptop aside and went to help him.

"Harry's really cool too, Bruce." Wally said, "Guy gave me a ton of these strange candies. Like one that was a chocolate frog that actually acted like a frog! The old man is keeping his as a pet of sorts until he gets a sweet tooth."

"He gave me an issue of some kind of wizarding comic book." John said as he walked over.

"I received a creature he referred to as a Kneazle." J'onn said happily with a small smile, "The cat-like creature appears to be very intelligent, and I find it to be a delightful pet."

"Hey, where is Harry and Diana?" Wally asked as he quickly glanced about the room and saw they weren't there anymore.

"I don't know." Bruce said, scowling as he thought of the many things the two could be doing… alone… together… with each other… to say the least, his scowl deepened for reasons he didn't understand.

J'onn's eyes glowed red as he placed a hand to his temple, "They are attempting to find a source of coal so that Harry can give Diana a gift."

"Coal?" John asked, "What on earth is he gonna do with that?"

J'onn looked amused and Bruce was still scowling as he said, "Test the limits of his strength."

"What?" Wally asked, confused as to what Harry's powers had to do with giving Diana a gift.

"Think about it." Bruce said as J'onn went to get the two wayward friends, "Harry is able to lift cars and ships with no problem. What would be an ultimate test of strength for him?"

It was then that both Hermione and John's face lit up in understanding, "He's gonna turn a lump of coal into a diamond!" the two exclaimed.

"What?" the two red-heads in the room exclaimed in surprise, they're head whipping around when Harry and Diana came into the room with J'onn.

"That's right." Harry said, catching the lump of coal Bruce tossed him from by the fireplace, "I'm gonna crush it between both of my hands with all my might. From what I understand, it takes eons to compact and fuse coal carbons into a diamond. If I can replicate that amount of pressure within the palms of my hands, then there's at the least a guess of my maximum strength."

"But that might not be possible, Harry." Hermione said as Harry tuned her out as he took in a deep breath and cupped the coal between his hands, "It would take incalculable tons of pressure to be exerted by your hands in order to duplicate the work of eons of fusion the opaque coal carbons undergo into the translucent perfection of a diamond!"

But Harry heard none of this as he felt the blood pounding in his ear and rushing to his face as he strained to use the full brunt of his might on the coal in his hands. He wasn't sure if it was working, but the coal hadn't exactly turned to dust in his grip. In fact, it felt like the coal was becoming harder and harder to squeeze down on until he felt it stop blunt in his hands and poking at his palms. Opening his palms to take a peek at the coal, Harry gasped as he found the shine of a diamond in his grasp. He had done it… He actually did it! While he knew that it was indeed possible thanks to what he learned about his strengths over the last month, he had no idea he'd be able to do such an act so soon!

"Y-You… you did it…" Hermione breathed in awe as Harry opened his hands all the way to show everyone the large diamond. Harry wasn't even aware of his fatigue, his red face, the sweat pooling from his forehead, nor his own shortness of breath as he stared fixedly at the diamond in his hand. He had done it! He did it!

"You gonna be okay there, mate?" Ron asked as everyone took notice of Harry's weary yet triumphant expression. He looked as though he had ran a marathon or gotten a good work out. Harry nodded his head, sweat leaping from his brows.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harry said between gasps of breath, "Just never used so much strength at once before, ever since I got my powers."

"Well you shouldn't go around doing that again, then." Hermione said, looking up at him, "It's not good for you if it has you so drained. You've never tested your full strength before, and this probably still wasn't even the full extent of it."

"Yeah, but for now it is…" Harry said as Diana and John helped him sit down, "I don't know exactly how much pressure I can exert with my hands to create a diamond, but I think it's safe to say that it's a lot more than it would take to move a mountain or create a cruise-liner."

"What about the diamond?" Bruce asked as Harry looked down into his hand at the sparkling gem, offering it to Diana.

"For you." Harry said as Diana took it, "Sorry none of us got you anything for Christmas."

"It's okay." Diana said, not having expected to get anything for a holiday she didn't know existed until Wally spoke about it faster than she could comprehend and then J'onn explained, "This entire experience is fascinating, to say the least."

"How about a little TV to take the edge off, big guy." Wally said, getting comfy in Bruce's mansion as he picked up a remote and turned on the giant plasma-screen television.

"Would any of the young ladies and masters care for tea?" Alfred asked as Hermione and Ron nodded while Harry did so slowly, steadily regaining his energy, "It'll only be a moment."

"There's nothing good on." Wally said, slowly flipping through channels.

"Wait. Stop." John said as the screen stopped on a news report.

"Oh great." Wally sulked, "Working through the Christmas holidays again, are we?"

"I'd like to remind you that none of us have worked past the last few months put you and J'onn." Bruce said dryly as Wally shrugged, all of them turning back to the television.

"Alright then, a few fires downtown and some thugs robbing the joints shouldn't be too much of a problem with all of us working together." John said, his arms crossed as he stepped up beside Bruce.

"Plus, it's close enough so that I can fly my friends over and they can deal with the robbers." Harry said, standing up and stretching while looking toward Hermione and Ron, who along with J'onn and Diana sat him back down.

"Oh no, Harry, you aren't going anywhere." Hermione said, "You need to stay and rest for a bit. I'm sure your friends here can handle everything."

"I'm fine, Hermione." Harry said, flexing his growing muscles, "I've lifted oil barges and automobiles, you don't think I can snuff out a few fires?"

"It's not a matter of what you can and can't do, it's a matter of you being safe." Hermione corrected as Harry frowned lightly, "Just a few seconds ago you were nearly blown over from the power you used, and now you want to go out there? You don't know when your power could fail, and-"

"Okay, okay." Harry said, still frowning a bit, "I understand. Just two things."

"What's that?" Hermione asked as Harry looked her directly in the eye.

"One, you're not my mother, and two, I'm faster than you." Harry said, and with that he blurred from the couch and out the window before Hermione could blink as her hair blew in the breeze he created doing so.

"Why that reckless-!"

"Oh calm down, 'Mione, geez." Ron said, "You act like he's gonna drop die or something. He made a diamond with his hands alone! I think anyone would be a bit fatigued after that. Lighten up!"

"He could drop dead, Ron!" Hermione shot back as the others in the room exchanged looks, "We don't anything about his powers, or if they'll fail him in his tired state! He could suddenly stop flying in the middle of the air and fall to his death!"

"Now that's going a little far-!"

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it is! Harry assured us that he had his powers uncontrolled! If something like that were possible-!"

"What, Ron? He doesn't even know how his powers work the way they do! He's too caught up in enjoying them-"

"Enough!" Bruce bellowed, his shout echoing off the walls as both Hermione and Ron turned to glare at him, but both backed-off when they caught sight of Bruce glaring back, "I think the two of you need to shut up sometimes and let Harry figure out his own problems. You aren't his parents, you're not even his family. You're his friends."

"I think what Bats is trying to say here is; we supers don't need our friends worrying and fretting over us twenty-seven. Harry is a big boy, and can take care of himself." Wally said raising a brow, "Besides, I think he'd know a bit more about his powers than you do."

"Yes, but what if-?"

"Are you always this… concerned?" John asked as he scowled lightly at her, "Listen, I don't think Harry needs or wants you guys arguing behind his back about his safety when his concerns are the world's safety… especially when he can hear you no matter where he is."

Hermione and Ron blushed at the reminder of their best friend's powers.

"That's all fine and well," Hermione said with sigh, "But I'm just worried about him. He's only had these powers for a little more than a month now, and we hardly know a thing about them other than what Harry tells us."

"So let me get this straight." Bruce said, stepping forward, "You trust him to do magic which is sporadic at best when practiced, but you don't trust him to use powers which could and do have scientific explanations."

"Don't look at me." Ron said with a shrug, "I'm grounded in magic and I don't worry that much about Harry. He can take care of himself. Hermione's the one that always worries for us."

"It is because you two are her closest and greatest friends," Diana said, "and I don't thing she wants anything to happen to either of you."

"You can read minds?" Hermione asked as Diana chuckled and shook her head.

"No, I can't." Diana admitted while J'onn smirked.

"I can…" J'onn said lightly in an amused tone.

"But I can see it in your eyes." Diana said, looking Hermione in the eyes, "It's the same look that my handmaidens and my mother get whenever I'm assigned a mission by the Gods or when I'm training in the arena."

"Oh…" Hermione said, not knowing _what_ to say.

"It's okay to worry, but don't let worry overtake you." Diana said wisely, "Or you just might lose those you worry for."

"Th-Thank you…" Hermione said, blushing shyly as she saw that everyone was looking at her.

"Hey!" Wally said, "Harry's hogging all the action! If we're gonna work on Christmas, then we better go! He's already blown out the first fire like a birthday candle."

"I'll monitor from here." Bruce said as J'onn and John nodded, both flying out the window as Wally bowed to Diana.

"After you, Princess." Wally said as Diana nodded.

"Why thank you." Diana said before she too shot out of the window.

"Now don't you kids do anything _I_ wouldn't do." Wally joked as Hermione's face went red once more and her hand covered her mouth. Bruce scowled deeply at Wally, making the speedster race from the room and to the protection of Harry while Ron blinked in confusion.

"I don't get it…"

* * *

"So dad, who's this new hero running about the world?" Lex Luthor asked to his father as the two sat across from each other in big leather chairs.

"Lex, I don't know what you mean." Lionel Luthor said with a bland look as Lex narrowed his eyes.

"This Starkid. I'm sure you know something about this so-called hero." Lex said, before muttering, "You seem to have a hand in all the cookie jars in the world…"

"Lex, you're only 14 years-old." Lionel said, sipping at his drink before setting it down and leaning forward in his chair, "Stop trying to know everything, and focus on what's in front of you. Like Clark for example. The boy's been focusing on his studies, even with all the strange happenings around Smallville."

"You know what I think, dad?" Lex said, leaning forward as well, "I think you know who this new guy is. And you know what else? I think he and Clark are connected somehow."

"You need help." Lionel said simply, leaning back smoothly, "I'll get you the best money can buy."

"But the real question here is what that connection between the two is." Lex ponder as his father gave him a look over the rim of his whisky.

"Lex, I don't have time to play children's games with you." Lionel said with a sigh, "What makes you think there is a connection if one at all?"

"You've been looking into the British papers lately, mainly the ones from London." Lex observed, "You've also taken to phoning Clark about them and sending him issues, all of which deal with this Starkid hero. Coincidence?"

"Perhaps…" Lionel said with a shrug as Lex leaned forward even more, his hands resting on his knees as he looked his father hard in the eye.

"I think not." Lex growled lowly as Lionel merely quirked a brow.

"Well, whatever your crackpot theories are about this hero, my interest in him is my own, if I have an interest at all." Lionel said firmly, standing to his feet, "I send Clark the paper because unlike you, he wishes to be cultured in worldly affairs. Now then, if you don't mind, I have important work to do…" Lionel said, and then paused at the door, "…and perhaps some new drills to buy for the digging in Smallville." and with that, Lionel swept out of the room as Lex sat alone, drinking his egg nog.

"Oh, and Merry Christmas, son." Lionel shouted from out in the hall as Lex settled back into his chair.

"Yes… a merry Christmas, indeed.." Lex Luthor said to himself before opening his laptop on the table beside his chair while setting down his drink.

He had some digging of his own to do…


	5. The Yule Ball Rolls!

**A/N: If you want an idea of what Harry's costume looks like, then just think Captain Marvel, but with a cape like Batman's or Superman's own one.**

**Chapter 5: The Yule Ball Rolls!**

* * *

"I have never seen someone put out a raging fire merely with their breath before." Diana commented as she hovered over the smoking building while Harry smiled.

"Yeah, well, my lungs aren't exactly normal." Harry said, floating up to her while John and Wally dealt with the criminals as they put out the fires. J'onn, however, froze up at the mere sight of the flames in the distance, so he was far away giving psychic-support. "My body is eons more advanced than the humans here on Earth, but one day in the far distant future, they'll be just like me."

"I'm sure…" Diana said quietly as they both took notice of a man about to throw a grenade into the window of a toy store, "Do people normally pillage and blunder on such holidays?"

"No." Harry said gritting his teeth, "These are just dunderheads that don't realize prison is all that awaits them."

Harry flew down to the man, gripping his arm as he was about to release the grenade. The man looked up and saw Harry before smirking at him as he pulled the cord off.

"Bye-bye…" the man said with a small wave as Harry's unearthly emerald green eyes widened. What kinda-?

There was no time to think. Harry pushed the man away toward Diana as he gripped the grenade tightly in his hand and jetted into the sky above Gotham as fast as he could without upsetting his surrounds.

"What's up with him?" Wally asked as he came over to Diana with rope, quickly tying the man's arms behind his back.

"This man held some form of small weapon, and now our friend is-"

Diana never got to finish as she and the others saw the explosion high above the city where Harry had been flying. Diana gently placed a hand over her mouth as Wally openly gaped at the smoke cloud.

"No way…" Wally gasped as John and J'onn came over.

"What happened?" John asked, "One minute I'm rounding up baddies in snow, and the next is like the Fourth of July was set off early over Gotham."

"Har was up there." Wally said, "Guy must have had some kinda explosive."

All of them bowed their heads in sorrow for the lost of their friend.

"Wait, look." J'onn said, pointing upward as he saw something falling from the smoke cloud in the sky.

"It's him." Wally said, tugging on John's arm like a little kid, "Someone go catch him."

"I've got it." John said, pointing his ring up and aiming as he focused on creating a catcher's mitt, which formed just as he thought it. The green energy mitt shot up, catching Harry before making its descent down to where his friends crowded him in the street.

"Ugh… Remind me to never again do that…" Harry said weakly as he stood, his costume burned with patches missing from it here and there. A glance down at his hand showed that it was burned like Harry had touched it with a red-hot poker, but at least it was healing quickly and not leaving any marks.

"I think we've done enough good around here." John said, scowling as he took in the British hero's ruined and flamed appearance, "Besides, the police are beginning to show up and they can take things from here."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Harry said, feeling better by the second as the warm glow of the shining yellow sun washed over him. He never understood why he always felt so much better under the sun, but it was always welcomed. Perhaps he needed to do some research on it, or speak to his father's hologram.

After all, even _he_ couldn't readily recall every thing from the thousand upon millions of facts and opinions on Kryptonian science and study he had gained from his father's device.

"Umm… where'd that guy go…?"

* * *

Arriving back at Wayne Manor, Harry and his friends continued to enjoy to enjoy themselves with Bruce's hospitality (which only seemed to be annoyance when directed at Wally's "touching property problem") and Diana's curiosity.

Hermione and Diana were good friends by the end of their time there, both having many questions and answers for each other about their cultures, history, and everyday lives. Diana enjoyed hearing about magic and Hogwarts, while Hermione simply loved hearing about the Greek Gods and Themyscira, the home of the Amazons. Hermione and Diana wanted very much to visit each others' homes over the summer break, even going as far as to give Harry the cutie-look (as Wally described it with a shudder) until he agreed to organize such an event, but only with the Queen and the Granger's permission.

Ron and Wally seemed to be good friends as well by the time to go. They had even gotten into an eating contest (much to Bruce and John's annoyance as well as J'onn, Harry, and Alfred's amusement), which had been really close, but Wally beat out Ron by a single turkey. Ron sulked about it for a few seconds, but then he and Wally were playing video games on Bruce's television with the rich boy himself and John. It was one of the only times Harry had ever seen John and Bruce smile and act so immature as openly as they did.

"We'll all have to do this again sometime." Wally said, "But after dropping Princess here off on her mighty island, I gotta get home." Wally then sent Bruce a sly look, "That is… unless you're up for a sleep-over, aye Bats-"

"I don't think I can take more of you in such large does, Wally." Bruce quipped dryly, "But perhaps another day. For now, go be with your family. All of you."

"You are family, Bruce." Harry said, a hand on Bruce's shoulder, "At least to me."

"Thanks." Bruce said so quietly that only he and J'onn heard. Both grinned to themselves as John and offered to go with Wally to drop Diana off.

"It was a very festive event, and I enjoyed myself much." Diana said, bowing to Bruce as he casual quirked a brow, "Thank you." and with that, she leaned to him and gave him a peak on the cheek, to which even his rigid facial expressions couldn't hide the blush while John and Wally teased him.

"Just go." Bruce growled at the two boys.

"And thank you, Hermione Granger for a most interesting as well as informative… umm… crash-course, on your wizarding people as well as mankind itself." Dian said, stepping to Hermione and giving her a hug, too which Hermione returned.

"Thank you, too. It was going meeting you." Hermione said as Diana nodded in agreement. Diana stepped to Ron, and gave him a hug as well, to which he accepted while his ears went pink.

"You and Wally have shown me that even food can be made into… a fun recreation." Diana said as she hugged Ron.

"N-No problem…" Ron said as Diana let go of him and moved to Harry, who she hugged deeply as Harry patted her back.

"But most of all, I wouldn't have gotten this enjoyment if it were not for you, Harry Potter." Diana said, and as she pulled back from the hug, she gave Harry a kiss on the cheek, to which he blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Don't mention it." Harry said, "I'd gladly take another punch from your mum if it means having you here on the fun with us again," Harry said, but then flinched as he recalled the fist coming toward his eye as well as the look of anger on Diana's mother's face, "but… Uhh… Let's just wait until next year for that one, 'kay?"

At that, everyone laughed as Diana and John took to the skies above while Wally grumbled, "Where's my hug and kiss? I ran all the way there and back…" before taking off to guide the two back to Themyscira.

"What are you gonna do, J'onn?" Harry asked as he stepped to Bruce's side.

"Bruce here has been gracious enough to offer me a place at his estate." J'onn said calmly as Harry cocked an eyebrow, "Though I suspect that it's only to have one of us on hand for Gotham, as well as to get some information from me."

"Stay out of my head." Bruce said as he turned on heel and walked back into his mansion.

"I think it's so you don't disappear on us again like last time." Harry said as he and J'onn gently floated back into the house with Hermione and Ron not far behind.

"Perhaps it is, but I believe he also wants to figure out more about you and I." J'onn said as Harry raised a brow again.

"What, like all aliens or something?" Harry asked as J'onn and he stopped in the den, the fireplace still ablaze.

"Yes… and no." J'onn said, "His mind works on so many things at once that it's nearly impossible to focus when I glance within it."

"So how much did you gleam?" Harry asked.

"The fact that he wants to know more about your powers and… your weaknesses." J'onn said as Harry shrugged.

"If there would be people I'd put all my secrets into, it would be my best ones here." Harry said as he pointed at Ron and Hermione, who smiled, "Bruce, and you, J'onn."

"I'm glad to have been included within that sentiment." J'onn said, smiling shyly, "But it is nearly four, and you do need to return before the hour is up in order not to seem to suspicious."

"You know," Harry began with a smirk, "Mind-reading is a bit rude."

"Yes," J'onn said with a matching smirk, "But it also helps you, and I can't help the curiosity I feel toward you and the humans."

"Trust me, J'onn," Harry said as he placed a hand on J'onn's shoulder, "neither can I…"

* * *

The Golden Trio arrived back in Dumbledore's office before going out onto the grounds where the other Weasleys were still having their famous family snowball fight. Hermione chose to watch as Harry and Ron charged into the Weasleys' snowball fight, and at precisely five o'clock sharp, Hermione jumped up from her spot and said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.

"Wait, that was it? What, you need three hours?" Ron said, looking at his female best friend incredulously. He, however, paid for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by Harry, hit him hard in the side of the head.

"Who're you going with?" Ron yelled after Hermione, but she just waved with a mocking smile and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.

"Why does it take girls so long to get ready?" Harry asked he and Ron followed after her shortly. Ron shrugged, not knowing the answer before Hermione stopped at the top of the staircase. She turned around toward them and glared, having heard the question.

"I am going to pretend that you didn't just ask that question." Hermione said fiercely, making them jump as they couldn't see her at the top of the stairs.

"Bloody hell!" Ron said, "Think she got some of your hearing?"

"Knowing Hermione, we'll never know." Harry said with a sigh.

Harry and Ron waited around for several minutes before Harry decided to check up on Luna via X-ray vision. It seemed that she too was getting ready for ball, showering with lavish amounts of soap and water running down her petite body. Oh yes, X-ray vision was his favorite power to practice by far as Luna turned, giving him a full frontal view without knowing it.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked, catching Harry's blank stare and near drooling look as the Boy-Who-Lived stared at the wall.

"Seeing if Luna's ready." Harry answered semi-honestly, "And I have to say she looks more than ready… heh, heh…"

"You're peeking on her!" Ron gasped as he sat up on his knees beside Harry, "What's she doing? What's she doing?"

"She's showering." Harry answered, not taking his eyes off of the way Luna seemed to be knowingly entertaining him with a show of how water could cascade done her lovely body.

"Merlin, wish I had X-ray vision…" Ron muttered unhappily as Harry chuckled.

"Don't worry," Harry said, "I think there's a spell for it somewhere. Check the library. I've only read half of it, so you might want to- Oh dear sweet Merlin, yes!"

"What? What? What is she doing?" Ron asked, gripping at his hair.

"She bent over… backwards…" Harry said, seeing Luna look back toward him and winked with a mischievous smile as he jumped back in surprise, breaking his concretion as his vision went back to normal.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Ron asked as he saw Harry blinking, meaning that he was no longer looking at Luna.

"Ron, I think…" Harry began, "I think Luna knew I was watching her…"

"Oh…" Ron said, then it clicked to him, "Ohh! You're in trouble…!"

"I know." Harry said, "For more than just peeping, I think…"

* * *

There was no Christmas tea to be had, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others still out in the grounds abandoned their snowball fights and trooped back to their common rooms. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocolate liqueurs littering the bottom other picture.

"Lairy Fights, that's the one!" the Fat Lady giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let the students inside.

Harry and Ron went upstairs from the common room when Seamus, Dean, and Neville came in, all agreeing to change into their dress robes up in their dormitory. They were all looking very self-conscious, but not so much Ron, who surveyed himself proudly in the long mirror in the corner with a suave look on his face. There was just no getting around the fact that his robes were the best next to Harry's own, and that it was because of Harry that he was looking so dashing. Harry offered what little Transfiguration skills he had to help the others, and they accepted quicker than he could blink.

"I still can't work out how you got one of the best-looking girls in the year… Lucky I got the other one…" Dean muttered as the boys set off downstairs.

"It's our animal magnetism…" Ron said with a smirk as Dean swatted at him.

The common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black robes. Parvati was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. She looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists. Harry was relieved just to see that she wasn't giggling.

"Well now, don't you look lovely." Harry said as Parvati blushed and giggled a little as she grinned up at the descending Harry.

"Why thank you, Harry." she said as she took Dean's arm, "Oh, and Ron. Padma's gonna to meet you in the entrance hall." she added to Ron.

"And remember my threat- I mean, advise." Harry said as Ron nodded quickly, going a bit pale, breaking his pompous act.

"Ri-Right!" Ron said, looking around, "Where's Hermione?"

"Harry, are you sure he's going to pay any attention to my sister?" Parvati asked as Dean shrugged himself.

"He better." Harry said, "I kinda like your sister. She's a good person."

"And I'm not?" Parvati asked as Harry glanced at her.

"You know what I mean." Harry said and she did.

Parvati shrugged, turning back to Ron as he was looking at her for an answer, "I don't know, Ron." she said before smiling up at Dean, who grinned down at her, "Shall we go down then, Dean?" Dean could only nod, looking afraid to open his mouth.

"Be smooth." Harry said, as he led the way out of the common room. Fred winked at him as he passed him on the way out of the portrait hole, "Well now, this should be exciting…"

* * *

The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Parvati found her sister, Padma, and even Luna, leading the two girls over to Harry and Ron while pulling Dean along like a dog on a short leash. Though Dean didn't seem to mind at all…

"Hi," Padma said, looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise. She also appeared to be pleasantly surprised by Ron's charming and expensive appearance, now seeming overly enthusiastic about having him as a partner; her dark eyes lingering on the darkness of his dress robes and how exquisite they were as she looked him up and down.

"Treat her right." Harry muttered in Ron's ear as Ron stepped forward, taking her hand a bit firmer than necessary as he kissed the back of it.

"You look very lovely and I am honored to be your date tonight." Ron said as though someone had a wand to his back with a curse on their lips. Padma only smiled as she returned the compliment.

"Oh no…" Ron said as he glanced off at the crowd, trying to hide behind Harry slightly, because Fleur Delacour was passing, looking stunning in robes of silver-gray satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies. When they had disappeared, Ron stood straight again and stared over the heads of the crowd.

"Something the matter for you to hide from her?" Padma asked politely as Ron's ears went pink.

"I'm sorta… affected by her more than most others…" Ron admitted to be politely as Padma took his hand, looking a bit amused and sympathetic.

"I'm done some research on Veela-lure this year with them here and all." Padma said, "Maybe I can help?"

"You'd be a life-saver." Ron said, grinned as he offered his arm, which Padma took while blushing lightly.

"Hello Harry." Luna said, making Harry jump a bit.

"Hey Luna!" Harry said, taking her hand and kissing it, "Sorry, I sorta forgot you were there. You were unusually quiet." he looked her up and down, her dressings like silvery, shiny wrapping paper as two tiny silver hoops hung from her ears. The strange part was that a silver image in them seemed to change every time they turned in the hoops; one moment it was bats, the next it was dolphins. Harry was sure he'd see far strange images in the ear-rings before the night was over, "You look absolutely gorgeous."

"You're quite the charmer, Harry Potter." Luna said as she took his offered arm, "Let's hope you stay so decent."

"And why wouldn't I?" Harry asked as she gave him this look, like he was both stupid and adorable for asking.

"You already know, silly." Luna said, her other hand coming up to rub circles on the back of his hand.

Oh…

"Oh…!" Harry said, his face going red, "Yeah, sorry about that…"

"No need to apologize." Luna said, still rubbing the back of his hand.

"Where is Hermione?" Ron asked as he turned to Harry and Dean, both of whom were standing next to each other without knowing so as they shrugged in unison while Parvati rolled her eyes.

"The night hasn't even started, and he's-!" but Harry cut the Gryffindor twin off and so did Dean.

"He'll be fine." they both said, then looked at each other, and chuckled as they slapped high-fives.

A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room. Draco was in front leading the pack; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry's opinion made him look like a vicar, though he couldn't quite judge as his, Ron's, and Draco's outfits had very few differences now that he thought about it. Pansy Parkinson was in very frilly robes of pale pink while clutching at Draco's arm, the blond holding back his grimace as he led her on. Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-colored boulders, and neither of them, Harry was somewhat saddened, but a pettily-thrilled to see, had managed to find a partner.

"Ugh. Why did they even bother coming?" Parvati asked with a slight sneer at the two boys as Dean rubbed her arm.

"They're Malfoy's bodyguards, they couldn't leave him alone." Ron said as Dean nodded and Harry silently agreed with the statement as it made sense.

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't readily recognize for a few spilt seconds. He had to admit, he wasn't much used to seeing her like… well, _that_, but it was only thanks to his super-senses that he knew it was her.

Deciding to distract himself from the thought, he looked over their heads as he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights - meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Then Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

Parvati readjusted her bangles, beaming as she nudged him and Luna to go; Luna and Harry said, "See you all in a minute," to Parvati, Dean, Ron, and Padma as they walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through. Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim other hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down.

Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Cedric and Cho were close to Harry too; they all grinned at each other as they decided it was best not to talk before McGonagall had them by their ears. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum… Hermione, to be exact.

She didn't look like the normal Hermione to him, and he was sure that Ron would mistake her for someone else, too.

She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a light, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow - or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back.

"That is a lovely dress she has." Luna whispered as Harry nodded, both smiling, "It would have gone well with Ronald's dark dress robes."

"I think it was supposed to, with either of the ones he had, because he also had these really frilly ones that sorta looked like a dress." Harry said.

"Your friend needs to grow-up." Luna said serenely as Harry frowned.

"He is." Harry defended, "He's just insecure with all the success his older brothers have and he's always down on himself. It's one of the reasons he'd take any opportunity to brag about himself if people are willing to listen."

"It's also why he gets jealous of you sometimes, right?" Luna stated more than asked as Harry sighed.

"He always end up knowing when he's been a prat though, and apologizes." Harry said, "Besides, he's a really good guy deep down."

"I'm sure he is." Luna said, wrapping herself fondly onto his arm.

Harry smiled, and glanced up to see that Hermione was also smiling. Rather nervously, but it was still true. That was when he notice how the reduction in the size of her front teeth was more noticeable than ever.

"Hi, Harry!" Hermione whispered loudly, "Hello!" she said to Luna, not knowing or liking Luna well.

"Well, that's not very nice." Luna muttered as she waved to Hermione politely while Harry greeted his best female friend vocally before leaning down to Luna.

"I know, but she doesn't really know you." Harry said, not wanting Luna to know that Hermione also thought she was mental.

"She also thinks I'm strange and doesn't like me." Luna said as Harry sighed. Well, there went that plan of silence…

Harry glanced away from both Hermione and Luna, not knowing what to say. He was struck speechless yet again when he was that Cho was gawking at Hermione in something akin to disbelief.

He was made ashamed yet again by his schoolmates when Cho wasn't the only one. When the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Draco (who gave Harry a little smile that sent butterflies through the emerald-eyed teen's stomach for reasons he couldn't explain), and even the blond Slytherin couldn't seem to find an insult to throw at Harry's normally bookish friend. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione with a small smile, though he seemed pained at seeing her on Krum's arm as he mouthed a greeting. Hermione only smiled, seemingly not seeing the pained look as she mouthed a greeting back of her own.

"Why does he look like he need's the toilet?" Luna asked in a child-like tone as Harry chuckled.

"Because our little bookworm looks gorgeous and is on the arm of a Quidditch star instead of his own." Harry answered as Luna giggled herself.

Once everyone else was settled into the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

Harry concentrated on relaxing as he saw Luna enjoying herself; she was vaguely beaming around at everybody, moving Harry so fluently he felt like water in a peaceful mountain stream. He caught sight of Ron and Padma as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes, but was actually smiling lightly this time without the pained expression as Padma whispered in his ear and the two laughed about something. Hermione frowned as she saw their laughter, but Harry knew they weren't talking about her.

Sometimes, it was great having super-hearing…

* * *

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's (but with no good side to it, only the scathing that Ron had mostly directed at Krum) as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.

Harry was momentarily confused about Percy's presence at the table, but let it slide right off him as he smiled at the Weasley boy. When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry. Harry took the hint and sat down next to Percy with a polite smile, a bit thankful not to sit next to Karkaroff or Krum like Hermione was doing (and looking uncomfortable) as she did. Percy was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined.

"Hey, Percy." Harry said before the boy could get a word out, "How have you been?"

"I'm fine…" Percy said with a strange look, as though he hadn't expected Harry to actually ask, "In fact, I've been promoted."

"Ya know, with that tone, you might as well be announcing your election as supreme ruler of the universe." Luna said as Harry fought down a grin as he was thinking the same thing. But, he wanted to at least be civil with Percy, who seemed to have been the odd duck in the family as far as the Weasleys were concerned.

"It's okay, Luna, Percy and the rest of the Weasleys are practically family to me." Harry said as Percy gave another strange look, like no one had concerned him family before.

"Well then, that's good." Luna said as she smiled at Percy from at Harry's other side, "Tell me Percy Weasley, what is your job?"

"Well, I am now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him." Percy said proudly as Harry chuckled a shook his head, amused with Percy's ambitious and proud nature that others would fine irritable.

"Why didn't Crouch come himself?" Harry asked, raising a brow even as he wasn't looking forward to being lectured on cauldron bottoms at all.

"I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all." Percy said, and with a glance at Luna he leaned in closer so that only Harry could hear him, "He hasn't been right since the World Cup. He's also not as young as he once was, though he's still quite brilliant, of course. The mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup… that was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of his own House-elf, Winky."

"I remember." Harry muttered back, and truly he did. It was his wand that Winky had been caught with, after all.

"They would have killed her, you know." Percy said as Harry vaguely recalled reading something like that when creatures used wands, "So naturally, he had dismissed her immediately afterward to save her life, but I digress. As I say, he's getting on, and he needs looking after I think he's found a definite drop in his home comforts since the elf had to go. And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with…" Percy trailed off as he made a disgusted face, "That revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around…"

"Poor man…" Harry muttered, having had his own experience with Rita Skeeter's scandalous nature.

"No, poor man is right." Percy said as if Harry would suddenly take back the sentiment because it was slightly disrespectful, "He's having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I'm just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place."

"Tell me, did he stop calling you Weatherby yet?" Harry asked with a grin as Percy looked indignant, but a small grin found him as he saw Harry wasn't being mean about it in his almost teasing tone.

"Prat…" Percy muttered as Harry shrugged, looking to Luna as she too was grinning.

"Sorry, couldn't resist the temptation." Harry said as Percy smiled a little as he looked down at his plate.

It was then Harry truly took notice of the fact that there was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Harry picked his menu up uncertainly and looked around.

There were no waiters.

Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"

And pork chops appeared. Harry was amazed as Luna giggled beside him, having caught his brief disbelief and amazement as it flickered over his face.

Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Harry glanced up at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining. Surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? But for once, Hermione didn't seem to be thinking about S.P.E.W. She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.

It now occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.

"Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," Krum was telling Hermione, "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these - though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains -"

"Now, now, Viktor!" Karkaroff said with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes, "Don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy… one would almost think you didn't want visitors."

"Well, Dumbledore," Karkaroff said, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent as Harry watched the proceedings, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"

"Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor." Dumbledore said amicably, "Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished! But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon - or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder."

Harry nearly snorted into his plate of goulash as Luna smiled serenely beside him. Percy frowned, but Harry could have sworn Dumbledore had given him a very small wink.

Perhaps he'd check for this mysterious room later…

Meanwhile, Fleur Delacour was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Roger Davies. Hermione rolled her eyes at this, but didn't say anything.

"Zis is nothing," she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course… zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat. We 'ave none of zis ugly armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entered into Beauxbatons, zey would be expelled like zat." She slapped her hand onto the table impatiently.

Roger Davies was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork. Harry had the impression that Davies was too busy staring at Fleur to take in a word she was saying.

"Absolutely right," Davies said quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur, "Like that. Yeah?"

"I don't know…" Luna said, "I think Peeves adds character."

"Absolutely right," Harry said, slapping his hand on the table in a mock of Fleur and Davies, "Like that. Yeah?" Even Karkaroff and Madam Maxime had to stifle their laughter as Fleur scowled almost ugly at him and Luna, her glare only being met with their beaming smiles.

Harry looked around the Hall, feeling himself truly at ease for the first time in a long while. He spied Hagrid sitting at one of the other staff tables; he was in less horrible hairy brown suit that Harry had gotten him weeks ago and was gazing up at the top table. Harry saw him give a small wave, and glanced back at Madam Maxime, who he saw return the wave, her opals glittering in the candlelight.

"Aaaww," Luna said as she tugged at Harry's sleeve, "I think they like each other. I suspect the Nargles are leading them on."

"It might be a Jabberwocky." Harry said as Luna gave him a look.

"But you said you had slain the Jabberwock with your mighty vorpal sword." Luna said as Harry shrugged.

"Maybe it came back to life, but it might be another of it's species." Harry considered as Luna looked thoughtful, "It could also be Snozzwaggers, Bandersnatches, the Whos from down in Who-ville, or even the elusive Pink Panther. Perhaps even one of those rotten, vicious Kinits."

"You will find me one of those, right? A pink panther?" Luna asked as Harry shrugged.

"I'll look." Harry said before smiling, taking up Luna's abandoned fork and feeding her, much to her amusement and delight, "For now, my dear lady, let us enjoy the evening."

Harry glanced over to see what Hermione's response would be to his and Luna's romantic gestures of feeding each other, but his female best friend was not paying attention at all in favor of teaching Krum to say her name properly.

Apparently the guy kept calling her "Hermy-own", which Harry found hilarious to no end when he heard that with a bit of above average hearing.

"Her… my… oh… nee…" Hermione said, very slowly and very clearly.

"Herm…own…ninny." at that intense look of focus and concentration on the Bulgarian's face, Hermione shrugged.

"Ah, close enough." Hermione said, catching Harry's eye and grinning. She then saw Luna cupping Harry's jaw as she slowly fed him a forkful of food and blushed deeply while Harry sent her a wink.

* * *

"Ron, you really clean up nice." Parvati said as she leaned forward and smiled at Ron while Dean had a hand wrapped around her waist. She and her new boyfriend watched as Ron gently dapped at the corners of Padma's mouth with a napkin that had been provided at the table all the while Padma was blushing like a red Christmas.

"I believe the correct phrase is; clean up _well_. And that I do." Ron said charmingly as he wink at Parvati, who giggled with her twin sister while Ginny and Neville looked on at him in amusement.

"He's only this clean-cut when people put the fear of Harry into him." Ginny said with a shake of her amused head, "Not sure what's changed over the last couple of weeks, but they've all been afraid of whatever Harry's got over them or would do to them. I mean he made my brother, _Ron Weasley_, into whomever this charmingly suave and _gracious_ man is sitting here. Clearly whatever Harry has over them is huge and life-altering."

"That hurts, Gin." Ron said with a sigh as Padma hugged him comfortingly for his sad look, "But not nearly as much as it would to have any of you going back and tell Harry I was an arse on this date."

"Harry really put the fear of Merlin into ya, huh?" Padma asked as Ron shook his head.

"Trust me," Ron said, "Merlin's got nothing on Harry James Potter at this moment."

"I second that." Neville said, raising his glass before taking a swig as Dean nodded.

"Well, whatever he did, I'm glad for it." Padma said, taking Ron's hand. Ron's cool persona seemed to crack with nervous when it was Padma making the moves, "I'll be honest when I say that I came down to the Great Hall thinking this would be a terrible idea because of the way you pine after Hermione Granger, but I'm glad you can show tact while in fear."

"Umm… th-thank you…?" Ron said questionably, not sure if that was a compliment exactly.

"It was as close to a compliment as you're getting this evening, so take it or leave it." Ginny said as Neville chuckled beside her when Ron pinned her with an annoyed glare before shrugging.

"I guess I'll take it." Ron said.

"Good boy, Ronnie…" the girls said as they each pet his head.

"Women… bloody hell…" Ron muttered glumly, in unison with Neville and Dean, who did so quietly under their breath so as not to be smacked in the back of the head like Ron was.

* * *

"So, Percy," Luna beamed, deciding to finally speak with the Ministry worker, "Earlier you said you worked under Mr. Crouch, correct? For the Ministry, right?"

Percy seemed to brighten up considerably at her acknowledgement, having been stuck oddly entering other conversations around the table where at times he was met with sneers and rude words in languages he did not speak.

"Yes, yes I did." Percy said as Luna smiled benignly.

"Then perhaps I can get your prospective on the Rotfang conspiracy." Luna said as Harry began coughing all of a sudden. Luna patted him roughly on the back before launching into an extremely animated conversation with Percy about the Ministry and how it was going to be brought down from the inside with a mix of Dark magic and gum disease.

Harry immediately tuned the conversation out as he looked for someone to talk to so as not to be brought into talks of conspiracy theories and toenails.

It was then he heard Fleur still complaining about the decorations and the school in general to Roger Davies, who he knew for a fact would have been offended for his school pride had the boy not been in such a daze of gorgeous and sparkles.

"And we would 'ave none of zis Whomping Willow buziness on ze grounds! People could be hurt by zat monstrosity!" Fleur complained as Harry scoffed, waving a dismissive hand as mirth danced in his eyes.

"Hey, the Whomping Willow, Giant Squid, and Fluffy all help build character." Harry said as Fleur gave him a disgusted look.

"Build character?" Fleur repeated skeptically, "Zhey are menaces!"

"True," Harry agreed with a shrug, "But character-building menaces all the same."

"'Ow exactly do zhey build character?" Fleur asked as Harry grinned.

"Survival of the fittest." Harry said causally, "Man vs. Nature, Journey to Adulthood…"

"Okay, zat is enough!" Fleur said, shaking her head, "I would not azzend zis school if my life zepended on it."

"Well, with the shaky historical political climate between our two nations in the muggle world, I would thing that would be the last thing you ever do." Harry said, having wanted a moment where he could appear smart with all the little facts he picked up about the political muggle world from Bruce.

"I do not take ze Muggle Studies." Fleur admitted, "What is it?"

"A very adverse relationship with shaky treaties and trade. Trust me, it's actually very complex from years of reluctant kinship." Harry said as Fleur blinked in confusion, "Besides, this year hasn't been too different than the previous ones. In fact, I think it's been much safer than normal."

Fleur raised an elegant eyebrow at him, "Tell me what could you pozzibly do zhat would even _compare_ to facing zown a dragon?"

"I had to slay a basilisk two years ago because some evil heir of Salazar Slytherin wanted to kill all the muggleborns." Harry said casually with a shrug, "It managed to petrify some kids, and nearly got the school closed."

"…I can't zhink of a responze to zhat." Fleur admitted as Harry shrugged again.

"Don't worry, it's not nearly as bad as when my Godfather, the infamous Sirius Black, tried to get into the school to apparently kill me." Harry said as Fleur looked taken back while Davies was still staring at her like a beautiful work of art.

"Pleaze, tell me more." Fleur said as she leaned forward while Harry smiled, doing the same.

"Gladly." Harry replied as he went on, Fleur hanging on his every word as though he were telling a vivid tall tale.

Except everything he said was true.

* * *

When all the food had been consumed, Professor Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it. Harry was impressed as he didn't hear the man whisper a single incantation the entire time.

Though he also felt Dumbledore was cheating a bit for using the wizarding world's most powerful wand to cast such spells, but hey; who was he to judge skill?

The Weird Sister's trooped up on stage in ripped robes and picked up their instruments. As all the lanterns on the tables went out, Harry stood up, guiding Luna out of her chair as she finished up her conversation with a particularly pleased Percy. Harry guided Luna onto the dance floor by hand, and with a slightly nervous smile, placed his other arm around her waist while the band began to play. He glanced around, seeing the others start up as he began to lead Luna around the hall in a slow, testing waltz.

"You dance wonderfully." Luna said as Harry grinned at her, "I don't see why we practiced those few times. You're a natural."

"I'm just copying what a good friend showed me." Harry admitted, having learned to waltz from Bruce and Alfred's lessons.

"Still, this is wonderful, isn't it?" Luna asked airily as Harry nodded.

"Yes, it is. But only half so… when compared to you." Harry said as Luna's cheeks stained pink while she appeared nonchalant about the compliment otherwise.

"You spied me in the shower." Luna said, "How?"

"Sorry about that." Harry said, his own cheeks heating up, "I was trying to see if you were getting ready, and well… I couldn't take my eyes off you."

"Indeed." Luna said, seeming completely unaffected and uncaring about his peeking.

"I won't do it again." Harry said, mistaking her shortness for anger, "It was just-"

"I asked how you saw me." Luna interjected calmly, breezily, "Most wizards can't see through Hogwart's magic. In fact, most can't see through walls period."

"I'm sorta… special." Harry confided as they danced.

"You're really that hero, aren't you?" Luna asked as Harry should have seen it coming, "The one from the papers."

"Yeah." Harry said, not denying it, "Can you keep it secret though?"

"Who would believe me?" Luna shot back with a small grin as Harry grinned back, feeling a weight lifted from him that he didn't know was there.

When the waltzing song ended, Luna and Harry broke apart while applauding with everyone else. Then the band struck up a faster tune and Harry and Luna began to dance again.

"Would you mind if I danced with some others?" Harry asked when the second song ended as Luna shook her head.

"No, not at all." Luna replied, "I'd actually like to speak to Percy again. He has such an insight on the Ministry and I'm working on converting him into a double agent."

"You do that." Harry laughed as he kissed her cheek and let her run off.

Harry didn't even get two feet away when Ginny crashed into him purposely, smiling as she nuzzled into his chest.

"Parvati and Padma want a dance with you, but I beat them to it." Ginny said, "I also made a request."

"Well aren't you thoughtful." Harry quipped playfully as he heard the music. Tango, something he could do with.

Following Ginny's movements at a precise speed, Harry made it seem like his and her moves were a perfect routine of quick and well practiced steps. As Harry twirled Ginny around the floor, everyone stopped and stared at the pair, wondering where they learned to dance as they were. A ring formed around the two dancers, with Harry smirking while Ginny looked as though she was lost in bliss. Only when the song ended did Ginny come back to reality, blushing as Harry made a show of doing so too.

"My turn! My turn!" Parvati said gleefully as she rushed forward, spinning Harry as his glasses went askew.

"Okay, lets dance." Harry said as he spun her around for a time before dancing with Padma and then with Hermione, who laughed as Harry picked her up in a show of strength.

"Now you're just showing off." Hermione laughed as she and Harry slowed their pace.

"Maybe." Harry said, "But what's life without a little showing off now and then."

"Safe." Hermione answered as Harry smirked.

"Boring." Harry replied as he spun her into his arms, "Where's Ron?"

"Dancing with Ginny." Hermione said, looking over Harry's shoulder, "He's hogged me since the first waltz, cutting in quickly before I shoved him into Padma's arms ten minutes ago. Now Padma's over at the bar talking to Percy and Luna."

"That's good." Harry said, going into super-speed to make his footwork look much better and less practiced.

"You have the most uncanny use of your abilities." Hermione said, seeing the look of vague concentration on his face that she had come to associate with the use of his powers.

"Or maybe I'm just oddly creative." Harry quipped as Hermione snorted.

"Yes, that's a word for it." Hermione said as they stopped dancing while she and he spun out of each other, "Bar?"

"Bar." Harry agreed as the two laughed before making their way over to the bar, which had been setup for drinks and refreshments. They ordered drinks and then went to find Ron and the others. As they neared the correct table, they spotted Ron but the others weren't anywhere in sight.

"Where's your date?" Harry asked as Ron held up his hands in surrender.

"She's dancing with Terry Boot from Ravenclaw while talking about something. I think it's homework." Ron confided with a shrug, before jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, "Ginny ditched me for another dance with Neville. Dean and Parvati went off for a snog. And I think Luna and Percy went to Professor Flitwick to write up a list of people they could convert into agents to either help stop or aid some Fang-something conspiracy." Ron explained as Harry and Hermione exchanged look before all three burst into laughter.

After a few minutes to chat, Hermione was quickly scooped up by Krum, who wanted to dance more with her while Ron watched seething. Harry only raised an eyebrow at his best friend before taking another sip of his butterbeer.

Harry then turned to glance around the dance floor, spotting Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory still dancing with one another. He looked for Seamus and Lavender, but neither were around as Harry assumed they had followed Dean and Parvati's example of leaving for some "face time", as the Americans put it. Ginny was dancing lightly with a slightly nervous Neville, but both looked to be having a good time. Dumbledore and McGonagall were laughing with each other as they waltzed about the room with Hagrid and Madam Maxime. Karkaroff had disappeared as well, but Harry's x-ray vision quickly showed him that the man was outside with Snape checking carriages for particularly… randy couples. They appeared to be having an argument of some kind while Snape was doing all the checking and Karkaroff all the arguing.

"Excuse me, Ron," Harry said as Ron looked to him, "but I spy two snakes hissing at each other's heels. Gotta go."

"Who?" Ron asked, glancing to watch Hermione and Krum.

"Snape and Karkaroff, outside." Harry said, listening in on the argument for a second, "Something about marks darkening and returning to full power."

"Do you think-?"

"Yeah, I do. Knowing their history, what else could they be talking about?" Harry said as he stood-

And was quickly pulled away by Draco, who looked annoyed as Harry and Ron exchanged a look while Harry shrugged in confusion.

"We're taking a walk." Draco ground out so firmly, so _pissily_, that Harry wisely shut his mouth and did not argue; especially since it was playing into his original intentions anyway.

"Sure thing. Let's go outside." Harry said, now being the one to lead the way.

Once out into the Entrance Hall and through the great oak front doors of the castle entrance, Harry slowed their pace to a casual stroll as he dropped Draco's arm with reluctance. He and Draco took in deep breaths of the cold winter air as they began their pleasant stroll through the conjured garden. As they came across a bench, Draco stopped him.

"Sit, Potter." Draco said as he gestured for Harry to do so. Looking puzzled, Harry did so as Draco sat next to him.

"I've confirmed that most of what you had said was true. My sources tell me that it would be wise to join you." Draco said as Harry blinked.

"Okay…" Harry said slowly, quirking a brow at Draco's "sources" comment.

"Therefore, I offer a gift of sorts to show my intentions." Draco said shortly as Harry smiled.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Harry said, "I'm the one who will be taking care of you, remember?"

"Yes, but a Malfoy does _not_ go into this sort of… relationship without giving something other than their body. People would take it the wrong way." Draco sniffed as Harry blinked.

"…I just almost took it the wrong way. Draco, I'm not going to… uh… "take you" as the phrase may be. That is… unless you want it?"

"Just take this damn present, Potter." Draco snarled, his face pink as he reached into his dress robes and shoved a small box into Harry's chest.

"Umm… okay…" Harry said, taking the small box and opened it. Harry smiled softly as he looked up to Draco.

"Thank you, Draco." Harry said as Draco shifted, looking vaguely uncomfortable with receiving gratitude for his gift. Harry took out the locket from the box and placed it around his neck, stuffing it under his shirt for safe keeping, "I'll treasure it always…"

"Just be sure to give me my life of luxury, and we'll call it even." Draco said as Harry nodded.

"Listen, Draco, I'm sorry about our families-"

"Shut up and kiss me Potter." Draco said, and Harry chuckled as he did just that, gently kissing Draco's forehead as the blond looked confused, even annoyed, while he un-puckered his lips.

"Draco, I promise that from this day forth, you will never have to want for anything so long as I can provide it." Harry said, getting to his knee in front of the seated blond as he took Draco's hand. He didn't know why, but he felt hot under the collar in Draco's presence. His heart beat quicken and his stomach felt like butterflies were fluttering about inside of it, "I promise to take care of you, to meet your every desire with overwhelming force. What I'm trying to say is… Well… I think I'm falling in love with you, Draco."

"I know." Draco said, his look turning back to his usual smug arrogance, "I love me, too."

"And me, Draco my sweet?" Harry asked as Draco looked down on him.

"…I suppose I can grow to love you. But for now, I have use for you, Pot-… Harry." Draco grinned darkly, sending more butterflies through Harry, "Just you wait and see." then Draco stood, brushing off his robes as he turned away from the still kneeling Potter, "I'm going back indoors. It's freezing out here. Do as you please."

"Alright." Harry said, fighting to clear his mind so that he could remember why he came out, "I'll catch up later."

* * *

And with that, Harry slipped away to find Snape and Karkaroff. It wasn't hard. What with Snape accosting students, throwing them half-naked from the carriages and from behind frosty walls. Harry was only lucky that he was seated atop one of the walls well out of sight as he listened in and watched with a hawk-like keenness.

"I don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor." that was Snape, cool and greasy as ever. The guy brought new meaning to the word "double agent" like nobody's business. Now if only he could learn to be a more pleasant person to be around. But then again, Harry supposed that Christmas miracles could only work so much magic. That sort of wish was just impossible!

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff. The man sounded very anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. Then again, Harry figured that he'd be hush to if he were speaking to people with those yellow teeth. He could only imagine the breath that came with them as Harry had doggedly avoid speaking directly to the man ever since he had first laid super-enhanced eyes on those critters. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months! I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it any longer! I can't-"

"Then flee," Snape said, his voice curt and cutting, "Flee, and I will make your excuses for you. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

Snape and Karkaroff came around a corner as Harry floated over the edge of the roof to have a better look. Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them. Harry felt a blush come over him as he averted his eyes, his curiousities about the studious and loyal houses now laid to rest at the position two of the two houses members had been caught in. He wondered if he could get a girl's leg to bend that far back…

"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past him, barely clad though all her clothes in her hands, "And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing after her, not even bothering to cover himself from the icy elements as he went caslling her name for continuous of their interrupted activities. "Honestly! Can't keep it in their pants!"

Karkaroff, Harry saw, looked slightly discomposed to see two students, who Harry noticed were Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, both from Slytherin, coming into light while stowing something away. The yellow toothed man's hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger.

"What are you two doing lurking about?" Snape asked venomously as Blaise grinned, holding up empty hands.

"Walking!" the dark-skinned Slytherin chirped happily, "Not against the law, now is it?"

Theodore shifted a bit as Harry raised a brow, using his X-ray vision to spy a new-model video-camera which was still turned on within the magically deep confides of the pale boy's right robe pocket.

"Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him expertly as Harry made a mental note to ask Snape to teach him how to do that with both his robes and his superhero cape. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape while Blaise Zabini grinned and Theodore Nott sighed as he dug out the camera once they were gone.

"We'll edit your pocket out later." Blaise said, grabbing Theodore's sleeve and dragging him along, "We've still got twelve more shots on the Quidditch Field and by the lake to do. Not to mention those in the castle and further around it. I love this job!"

"Just no more guy-on-guy… Please!" Theodore begged, "I think my eyes are pooling blood. It's horrid."

"Hey, you signed up for this! You knew what you were getting into!" Blaise argued, "Besides, we're all about free love around here; no judging." with that, Blaise urged him on more, "Now come on! Ming Lu is going to do the disappearing wand trick as our last shot… with four wands this time!"

Harry never thought he could see Nott run so fast or look quite so happy. Harry promised himself that after he went back to check on Luna and the others (but mainly Luna and her corrupting ways), he'd go see this "disappearing act", because it sounded _very_ interesting… education-wise!

"So, Voldemort is getting more powerful…" Harry muttered to himself, shaking his head free of his boyish hormonal thoughts as he floated above the roof and into the open night air. He crossed his arms, drifting lazily over the Forbidden Forest, unseen due to the snow and darkness, "And now Karkaroff will be a dead man if that happens. If Voldemort is truly even half as terrible as people make him out to be, then fleeing will do the man even less good then suicide right now."

"Even still," Harry breathed, turning through the frosty air as if he were wading through water, "with his yellow teeth and unpleasant appearance, I can't just let him die. I mean, he _did_ turn his life around for the better. Hmm…"

* * *

"Momen' I saw yeh, I knew," a voice said as Harry broke from his thoughts as he listened in, focusing as he placed the voice. Though it was oddly husky, he knew it had to be Hagrid. Harry turned himself right in the air as he flew over to where Hagrid's voice was coming from.

And then he froze, high above the scene. What he was seeing didn't seem like the sort of scene he ought to walk (or rather fly) in on, somehow… seeing Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies standing half-concealed in a rosebush nearby, after all…

"What did you know, 'Agrid?" Madame Maxime said, a purr in her low voice.

Harry tried to move from his frozen state high above the scene, because he definitely didn't want to listen to this; he knew Hagrid would hate to be overheard in a situation like this (well, at least _he_ certainly would!) - if it had been possible he would have put his fingers in his ears and hummed loudly, but that wasn't really an option as he was sure Hagrid's hearing would catch him and then spot him way above them; ruining his entire secret identity with his not-being-able-to-keep-a-_bloody_-secret-ness. Instead he tried to focus on something else. Like the beetle which he spied crawling along a large stone reindeer's back.

Unfortunately, the beetle just wasn't interesting enough to block out Hagrid's next words…

"I jus' knew… knew you were like me… Was it yer mother or yer father?"

"I - I don't know what you mean, 'Agrid…"

Oh, crap…! Hagrid thought she was-! Harry wanted to stop the scene, but how? He racked his brain for an answer, and then thought of one.

"It was my mother," said Hagrid quietly, "She was one o' the las' ones in Britain. 'Course, I can' remember her too well… she left, see. When I was abou' three. She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well… it's not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her… might be dead fer all I know…"

Madame Maxime didn't say anything. And Harry, in spite of himself, froze where he had dived to the ground and raced forward from. He had never heard Hagrid talk about his childhood before.

"Me dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh…" Hagrid's deep voice broke. Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain. "Dad raised me… but he died, o' course, jus' after I started school. Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was…"

Hagrid pulled out a large spotted silk handkerchief and blew his nose heavily.

"So… anyway… enough abou' me. What about you? Which side-?"

A loud crash sounded as Hagrid and Madame Maxime suddenly got to their feet. Fleur and Roger broke apart. They all (the two students pulling their robes closed) went to see what had caused the crash as the beetle flew with them, as though wanting it's own investigation.

That was when they found Harry scowling, a few of the lighting pixies giggling, and a large glass of butterbeer shattered while Harry glared down as though it were an unsolved crime before he gave the pixies a pointed glare. Then, he looked to them, blinking before he sighed.

"They did it." Harry said, the pixies giggling again, "Go back to your… umm… "business" people."

Fleur quirked an elegant brow at him, "… 'Ow zid zhis 'appen?"

"Nothing to see here." Harry said, waving his arm before he lunched and tried to catch one of the pixies, though the tiny fairy woman danced out of his path with a soft giggle.

"It is chilly, 'Agrid." Madam Maxime said, but whatever the weather was, it was nowhere near as cold as her voice while her lips were thinned, "I think I will go in now."

"Eh?" Hagrid said blankly. "No, don go!"

"Hagrid, a little help here." Harry said, still trying to capture at least one of the pixies, who now had their male counterparts in on the fun.

Hagrid looked torn for a moment, but Madam Maime made his choice for him when she stormed away; great multicolored swarms of fairies and pixies rising into the air as she passed, angrily pushing aside bushes. Hagrid stood there, staring after her. It was much too dark to make out his expression, but Harry saw it clearly. It was one of regret and budding new anguish, as though he had opened old wounds while gaining a few new ones. Then, after about a minute, he sighed while turning to Harry, who was now on the receiving end of a wedgie given so graciously by the rowdiest of the male fairies while Fleur giggled along with all the little pixies and fairies. Harry merely floated there, his underwear dangerously uncomfortable as he crossed his arms and stared impatiently at Hagrid.

Honestly, the things he went through for these people!

* * *

Hagrid helped him with the pixies… fairies… whatever the Hufflepuff they were! Harry, in turn, gave Hagrid a bit of advice on how very impolite it was to "ask and tell" about one's species background. With that done, and his boxers now comfortable again while a red-haired little fairy sported a large bump on the noggin, Harry went back up the castle, thinking over Hagrid's half-giant status.

Having been brought up by the Dursleys, there were many things he hadn't known which normal wizards took for granted. Luckily, these revelations and surprises had become fewer with each successive year, and even more so now that he had literally read half the library. While normal, uneducated Harry would have said "so what" upon finding out that one of his friends had a giantess for a mother… well… educated Harry said-

"I wonder how that worked…" Harry mused, "I mean, if she's a giantess… and he's a normal man… and she's nearly four times his size… and… oh great Rao, is that _not_ a pretty image in my head!"

Harry glanced back down the path, seeing that Fleur and Roger Davies had disappeared, having found a more private clump of bushes with the help of Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

* * *

Harry returned to the Great Hall, immediately gathering up Luna from the rather large crowd of Beauxbatons boys who were hanging on her every word. He even pulled Parvati and Padma for a dance while Ron had been too busy dancing once again with Hermione, Dean with Lavender, and Neville with Hannah Abott now. Steering the girls onto the dance floor, Harry felt a distract was what he needed as he began moving and grooving with the three beautiful witches all at once. Occassionally, he'd spy Draco at the bar or at a table, watching him with a vaguely annoyed expression, as though he were more annoyed with something about himself than he was with Harry. Then, while spinning Luna and turning to Parvati to give her some attention in their three-way tango, Harry saw Draco huff and leave in a swish of dress rboes, to which Harry shrugged as he was having too much fun to bother with the strong urge to see what was bothering his new… whatever-they-were-to-each-other-now.

When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to wend their way into the entrance hall. Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer, but Harry was perfectly happy to be going to bed; even as he danced Luna to Ravenclaw tower, to which he gained a particularly heated kiss before the girl slipped in after another of her house.

As far as he was concerned, the evening couldn't have been more perfect.

Out in the entrance hall once more, Harry came up to the Patil twins, to which they both gave him a cheek-kiss in unison from opposite side before he saw Ron glowering as Hermione said good night to Krum before he went back to the Durmstrang ship. She gave Ron a very smug look before she danced with the hem of her dress in hand, sweeping past the both of them and up the marble staircase with much grace and without speaking. Harry and Ron followed her, but halfway up the staircase Harry heard someone calling him.

"Hey-Harry!"

It was Cedric Diggory. Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, quirking a brow as he hoped that the quick flash of thought he had (mostly because of how most of the "coupling" of the night had turned out) didn't coming true as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him.

Cedric looked as though he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Ron, who shrugged, looking absently randy as he continued to climb the stairs where Hermione had waited before spinning graciously away with Ron hurrying faster after her.

"Listen…" Cedric lowered his voice as Ron disappeared, "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"

"Might I first say that this is extremely honorable of you." Harry said, patting Cedric's shoulder condescendingly, "But I think I've got it covered."

"Well… take a bath, okay?" Cedric said so suddenly that Harry's eyebrow nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"Excuse you?" Harry said, leaning forward as Cedric fumbled with his words.

"Er… Just take a bath, yeah, and - er - take the egg with you, and… umm… Ya know, just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think… Trust me."

Harry stared at him. While he was glad Cedric was being such a good sport, the boy obviously was not one for subtly nor discretion. However, Harry supposed that if he didn't play along now, Cedric was the type to get serious about "returning the good deed done" like Ron was about not accepting anything that resembled charity. And Rao only knew he couldn't be bothered to deal with _another_ person with _that_ sort of complex.

"Tell you what," Cedric said quickly, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go… want to say good night to Cho."

"I'm sure you do." Harry said, smirking a bit as Cedric went bright red in his cheeks, "Just be sure to use some protection during that farewell. While I'd love to see your last year at Hogwarts filled with beautiful memories for an unplanned child, I'm not sure the caste or the school program include childcare."

Cedric merely ducked his head as his entire face went red before he turned and hurried back down the stairs to Cho, not strong enough to continue a battle of such words against the witty Harry Potter.

Harry smirked all the way on his walk alone back to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady and her friend Vi were snoozing in the picture over the portrait hole. Harry had to yell "Fairy lights!" before he woke them up, and when he did, they were extremely irritated. He climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione… he raced up the stairs as he just knew his eyesight would never be the same again after what he had just seen.

* * *

"You tricked me, you witch!" a voice in the darkness snarled viciously as another, a female one, giggled evilly.

"I did no such thing, Draco Malfoy." the woman in the mask said, amusement shining through her bland tone, "I gave you what you wanted."

"Then why is it affecting me as well!" Draco bellowed as the woman chuckled once more.

"Think of it as insurance, if you will." the masked woman suggested, "You'll receive the counter-object when my son receives his throne."

"You heartless witch!" Draco snarled as his fists clenched. He could just tell the woman was smiling at him, mocking him. How he hated this woman. This devious, deceptive, cunning woman. He hated her with all his heart. More so than he hated Potter and piss-poor poverty.

"You'll thank me for this when you're older." the woman said, turning from him, "When you have children of your own, then you'll understand."

Draco sighed. There was no way of overpowering the woman without having Potter do it, and that would reveal the entire scheme. No, he simply had to hold up his end of the bargin. Oh how he hated this woman even more for forcing him to hold up his end. "Fine. Your brat will get his throne, but it may take time. Months, maybe even years."

"I've waited hundreds upon thousands. I've traveled time and space to get to this point. It's only a hair's breath away in comparison to when that _old_ _fool_ Emrys left those insufferable clues at the beginning." the woman radiated hatred and anger so intense that Draco felt it before she quickly calmed herself, once again becoming the aloof mystery to which she was, "Trust in me, Draconis, I can wait a bit more."

And when she turned back to him before slinking into the shadows, even with that masked appearance, he simply knew she was smiling. Grinning, smirking, whatever it was, she was smiling as though she had won the grand prize and all that was left was for it to be presented to her formal.

She was right though; he could wait, and then when the time was right; like a true Slytherin, he would strike. He was already coiled, and all that kept his venom at bay was proper timing.

It was always in the proper timing, after all…


	6. Under the Sea!

**A/N: This story is NOT a Slash Fic! I don't know who told anyone that, but it's NOT! Just because I have a pairing that is plot-relevant does not mean I'm going to suddenly turn someone gay, have them butt-fuck another non-gay character, and then have them fall in love all because that's how some people get their rocks off. If I wanted to do things like that; I'd write Crack Fics!**

**As far as I know, the only one in either story-verse that is "inclined that way" is a hundred-and-something year-old virgin named Albus **_**Too-Many-Goddamn-Middle-Names**_** Dumbledore!**

**There is no Slash within this story, mostly because I'm trying very hard to write HP stories that don't include it. There will also be no gender-bending in this story, (unless, at some point I decided it would be **_**very**_** plot-relevant) because it would make no senses.**

**In fact, just because some people have claimed that I've "told them" this was a Slash Fic and some getting pissed off because of things in the story, I might not have pairings in this story at all. How about that? Everyone can just be **_**asexual as hell**_** for all I care!**

**On with the damn story! Jeez, people piss me off with the most irrelevant of things! It's a damn SUPERHERO story, not a damn romance-comedy! I'm gonna have these people hit-n-blast before they ever start spouting off their feelings!**

**On with the damn story! Piss me off…**

**(The above note was written when I was angered at a review I had read to this story. You may chose to disregard this, however. The choice is yours.)**

**Chapter 6: Under the Sea!**

* * *

Bruce sat at the console of his super-computer with his head resting in his steeped hands. Looking over all the data he had collected on the particular subject at hand, he still could not make heads or tails of exactly what he was glancing over. Though he hated excuses, he supposed since the information was on a highly-advanced alien friend of his, he could allow himself a margin of error until he collected even more samples and data.

"What are you reading?" a dispassionate voice asked from behind him. Bruce didn't even bother to glance up at the shadow that fellow over his side.

It was J'onzz. It was _always_ J'onzz.

The green-teen did not know a thing about discretion when it came to sticking his nose in our people's business. Though Bruce reasoned that J'onzz was not to blame, and that the blame in fact rested with his own weariness from the near sleepless nights he had spent compiling all the information he had gathered into one clear-cut file for perusing.

"I'm looking over all the data I have on Harry." Bruce said, leaning back in his chair as he continued to half-heartedly glare at the over-sized monitor, "So far, I haven't been able to isolate anything specific from his genotype, his DNA, or even the scans I've run over him. In every way, he appears to be a normal human, but… he's _not_. We all know this. He's just as much of an alien as you are."

J'onzz's only immediate response was to quirk an eyebrow at just how bland a tone Bruce had called him an extraterrestrial in. In fact, it still amazed J'onzz at how accepting and unfazed by his alien lineage his human friends were. Then again, one was an even greater alien power that, for all appearances, was completely human, another was an Amazon Princess from an isolated island of magical, near-Greek-like, Amazon xenophobes, another was a teenaged intergalactic rookie-cop with a green power-ring and a surly disposition, another was a speedster with a happy-go-luck attitude and knack for all manner of sciences.

And then there was this one. Bruce Wayne, the most normal and yet the most _unusual_ of them all. No powers, no special abilities, no unusual origins.

Nothing. Simply nothing.

The only things that set the boy apart from them was his intellect (which J'onzz supposed was only matched and outclassed by Harry's and J'onzz's own smarts), his riches (which could only be matched by Diana and Harry, if the latter continued to make a few diamonds from coal every other week), and his deductive skills. That combined with his martial arts training, his vast information network, and his determination made him a threat to any and all of them.

Everything Bruce had could easily be acquired by any other human on the Earth, yet there was something about Bruce that others did not have. Perhaps it was the determination. Perhaps it was the disposition. Perhaps it was even the high sense of morals when it came to dealing out justice as the teen wanted to do. Whatever it was, J'onzz did not know, nor did he care to readily figure out the mystery. He enjoyed toying with the thought in his spare times of boredom, which as he was not ashamed to admit, was rather often. The idea of what made Bruce Wayne, the ordinary human amongst them, the crucial and unsupplantable member of their team intrigued him greatly. The idea of what Bruce had that could not be copied by any of them by the use of their powers was fascinating. The idea of what made Bruce the co-leader of their little troop of crime-fighters was simply baffling, but still all the same a puzzle which J'onzz liked to slowly piece together. What did Harry see in this brooding teen that none of them could?

"It makes no sense how similar his genetic structure is to that of an ordinary human." Bruce said, typing away at his keyboard before pulling up pictures of what J'onzz assumed were Harry's skeletal x-rays, "Even the bone structure is basically the same."

"What is this?" J'onzz asked, pointing out Harry's knee joints.

"His knee joints." Bruce replied, "Trust me, his bones density is just about the only thing weird about him. That and the aura-field his cells generate."

"Aura-field?" J'onzz echoed in confusion, never having heard of such things before.

"Yes." Bruce said, clicking on his mouse to drag up a photo of Harry's skin cells, "His skin cells, for example, have so much excessive energy to them that they generate a field of aura-like power which protects him from most things."

"Like the bomb that the escaped criminal handed him." J'onzz rationalized as Bruce nodded.

"Yes, but all of his cells have this energy." Bruce stated with a frown, "And they don't die. At least, not like the average human cell. His cells don't die over the period of a second, with two more taking the dead cell's place. No. His cells live on for who knows how long. Days, weeks, months… years… He'll age, but at an incredibly slow rate. By the time he's eighteen years-old, he'll look twenty-five and stay that way for many years to come."

"Where is this energy coming from?" J'onnz asked, "Do you believe it has something to do with his magic?"

"I'm not sure." Bruce answered with a severe scowl, "And his being magical only throws wrenches in my scientific theories and tosses them into the wind. Though I have noticed one thing thanks to this little chat." Bruce hurriedly typed at his computer, producing another photo of Harry's cells, but these were alive and pulsing with a faint glow around them like a neon-lit heartbeat.

"As you can see, the energy field the cells produce is overlying the cell's entire structure and overlapping with each other to form an entire shield to Harry's structure. That means that the field extends at least a few centimeters from Harry's own body, meaning that anything skin-tight on him will be practically invulnerable as well."

"Yes, that makes sense." J'onzz said, readily reading Bruce's memories on human biology, "However, this level of power is not so different from solar radiation as we observed on my home planet of Mars."

"Solar radia- I'm an _idiot_!" Bruce said, slamming his fists to the console as J'onzz glanced at him in surprise, more shocked than he'd show at Bruce's sudden display of open annoyance, "Of course! Cells receive energy from light waves, but his cells store that energy more readily so than a normal human. It makes sense now."

"What all makes sense?" J'onzz asked, floating behind Bruce as the rich teen hurried across his secret base to where his crime lab was.

"His entire body is like one giant solar battery." Bruce explained, "It can't account for his sensory powers, his supreme intellect, or his ability to fly, but it does account for his speed, strength, invulnerably, and his ocular powers."

"How?"

"He's nothing more than a battery when it comes to those later abilities." Bruce explained, "When a battery is working, it can help a machine exceed expectations, but when it's nearly out of power-"

"It shuts the machine down to it's base-level; which for machines, is non-operational." J'onzz concluded as Bruce nodded.

"But for Harry, it would be near-human levels of power." Bruce said, "He could still probably fly, hear really well, and be smarter than the above-average person, but the chemical reactions in his body wouldn't have near the levels of power behind them as they have now when he's under the sun."

"But is it only our star?" J'onnz asked as he and Bruce exchanged a look, "Yellow sun radiation is subtly different from red sun radiation."

"Yes, but he once explained to me how his world was under a red sun and how his people appeared to be a society of advanced humans under it." Bruce said, rubbing his temples, "So it stands to logic that red stars don't give him his extraordinary powers. However, whether any star other than yellow would give him powers is a blank notation for now."

"I would have to concur." J'onzz said stoically, not wanting to test such an theory on Harry. If he lost his invulnerably from a star… and then was too close to the star… well, J'onzz did not want to be responsible for vaporizing a friend merely for an experiment.

And neither did Bruce.

"Why are you so worried about all of this?" J'onzz asked with as close to a curious look as his impassive Martian facial expressions could readily display.

"Harry's the most powerful person we have met yet." Bruce said, clenching his fists, "I don't like to think about it, but… If anything happens to him… anything that would make him turn against us…"

"You wish for a way to stop him… and all of us?" J'onnz observed as Bruce grimaced.

"It isn't pretty," Bruce admitted grimly, "But someone has to plan for these things."

"And what do you have planned against me?" J'onzz asked as Bruce looked him straight in the eye.

"Try and read my mind." Bruce said as J'onzz's eyes began to glow. Then, he narrowed them.

"What is that strange song within your mind. I could not observe your thoughts nor could I hear them. All I managed to gleam was that one song."

"The static lullaby, for lack of a better term." Bruce said shortly, "For the past few months I've been practicing it with a Tibetan monk in the highest mountains while we were on that vacation in Asia."

"So that is where you disappeared ever week." J'onzz mused with a slight smile, "I thought you were off engaging in one of your human mating rituals."

"No." was Bruce's dryly terse reply.

"So what _do_ you have planned against me?" J'onzz asked, "Because if I wanted to kill you, all I'd have to do is concentrate harder on your mind."

"Well, for Harry I have spent three billion dollars acquiring a special rock from the British Museum of Minerals." Bruce said, returning to lounge in his computer chair, turning the chair so that he was facing J'onzz with an impassive look on his face. "They sold it to me because they thought I was interested in it's glow and wanted it for a night-light."

"Amusing," J'onzz smirked, "But you still haven't answered my question."

Bruce looked him square in the eye, "The answer is this; I spent three billion purchasing a rock to take down Harry at anytime." Bruce narrowed his eyes, and for the first time in his life, J'onzz felt a sliver of truly irrational fear, "With you; all I need is a dime for a book of matches."

J'onzz felt his eye twitch at the subtle jab Bruce made about his weakness to fire. Even thinking about the raging flames a single match could create made J'onzz knees weak and his stomach flip uncomfortably.

Now he remembered exactly why Bruce was irreplaceable on their team. Because he would go to any lengths for the mission. He would go beyond any human quality, transform into the darkest of beings for the sake of justice. Bruce- no, _Batman_, would be able to take them all down as the single powerless human on the team long before they would have even thought to challenge him.

J'onzz's grace and relief was in the fact that someone so dark, someone so devious, someone so deadly focused was on their side.

* * *

"Harry! Don't forget your glasses!" Hermione yelled from the staircase as Harry groaned loud enough for her to hear as he jammed the spectacles onto his face.

"You know, when I was a kid I liked these things, but now that I have better than perfect vision, I hate them." Harry said as he came floating down the stairway. Hermione gave him a look as he sighed and with a roll of his eyes, Harry dropped down so he could stomp the last five steps down.

"Happy, _Mom_?" Harry asked as Hermione smirked, standing on the tips of her toes so she could pat the top of his head like a puppy.

"Very. Now are we going?" Hermione chirped as Harry smirked.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked as Hermione shrugged.

"He's already gone ahead, but he might have been distracted." Hermione said, but seeing Harry's curious look, she explained. "Fleur was down in the Great Hall."

"Ah," Harry said as though the one sentence explained so very much. Truth was, it did.

Christmas had passed, January had come and gone without much trouble. Harry's life had quieted down considerably, which he was more than thankful for than he was willing to admit. The constant threats of thieves, rapists, and general disaster from just the city of London was enough to make Harry want to take a sick day from crime-fighting. But luckily enough, it seemed that crime really did take breaks as most of January had been quiet with the exception of a plane nearly crashing, a few gangs trying to start trouble in Dufftown, and a ship that nearly sank along the English Channel.

Then there had been the problem of his comings and goings being noticed by none other than the ever vigilant ex-Auror Alastor Moody. The man was almost always catching Harry in the middle of going to save a town or something while Harry had to dance around the subject with the flare of a tango-master. He was sure Moody was still, and always would be, suspicious of him, but Harry couldn't worry about that when there were people who needed saving. Luckily enough, even the old Auror had been acting more mellowed than normal lately. Though Harry still found the man's stare burning at his back whenever they were in the same room together.

But thank Rao for giving him people like Draco Lucius Malfoy, Luna Lana Lovegood, and Hermione Jane Granger! Harry found that he could breath easy whenever he came back covered in soot and cornered by someone only for one of his three saving angels to show up right when he needed them. They'd make some excuse (in Hermione's case), do something that would make any person blush (in Luna's case), or just plain tear into the person before dragging Harry away (in Draco's case) while Harry wiped the nervous sweat and soot from his brow. He'd seriously have to make appreciation days for all three of them, because he wasn't sure how he'd manage without them, even with his supposedly advanced intellect.

Harry also found his general mood improving due to the semi-break he had gotten. And whether his school was playing host to visitors or not, Harry tended to, when not with his friends, sit at random places (like that one time he was caught hanging upside-down from a Quidditch goal post with Ron zooming around on his Firebolt) and read any book he had left his dormitory with in hand. After dinner was over with and after homework had been finished, he and his friends usually retreated to the common room, or if they were going their separate ways, Harry went exploring the school.

Because he _still_ hadn't found that room filled with toilets!

Anyways, even Harry could see that the little break had been doing wonders for all of the stress he had unconsciously been accumulating over the last year, even before discovering his powers and heritage.

He had only been back to the hologram of his father once more since his first interaction with the thing. Needless to say, his father had been as tightlipped and curt as before. Though at least the man had told Harry a few stories about his life, though since most of it revolved around science and very little on family life, Harry would have tuned the man out if he hadn't been starved for parental attention and information.

And truly he must have been starved for such if he had willingly and begrudgingly sat on his bed for four hours that day staring at a ball while his father droned on about his "most crucial" meeting with the Science Council about their tax reduction tirades and safety regulation debates.

"Harry… Harry…? Harry. Harry!"

"Huh? What?" Harry started, having been deep in thought as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, can you not focus." Hermione said as she gripped at Harry's shoulders. Harry looked down, allowing Hermione to bring him down from his hovering three inches above the stone floor of the castle. "You have to keep yourself grounded in the now, Harry. You might get discovered if you don't."

"Its just a power boost from being the defeater of Voldie." Harry chirped his lie happily as Hermione gave him a prime look, a look he had only ever gotten from Professor McGonagall or even Madam Pomfrey.

"And exactly how many people do you think are going to be fooled by that crock?" Hermione asked critically as Harry shrugged, "And for how long? If you're not carefully, people; both wizard and muggle would want their hands on you."

"To slice me up in a lab." Harry said, his face taking on a serious look as Hermione nodded, suddenly feeling meek under Harry's stern gaze even though it's intensity was not truly directed at her. "Or, for the Unspeakables, a mystical chamber."

"Yeah. And I don't want that." Hermione said as Harry nodded, giving a small smile.

"And I get that." Harry said, placing his hand gently on Hermione's shoulder. He sometimes remembered just how gentle he had to be not to grip people like his dear friend Hermione so he didn't grind their bones into dust with what might be a comforting squeeze. "However, if anything like that happened, I'm glad I have you to come and save my spleen from being kidnapped."

Hermione gave a small giggle as she batted his hand away. Harry was glad that he could still be so normal, even though he was unconsciously flowing with her touch so she didn't break her hand with the simple act.

"Yeah, me, Diana, and Bruce." Hermione said with a smile, "Though I think the others would very much like to see your spleen."

"Hey, it's my spleen, and it's private!" Harry exclaimed in mock horror as he turned away from Hermione as though he were indecent.

"Come on now, Mr. Naked Spleen, Ron's waiting for us with none organ-related matters." Hermione said, and then not waiting for him, the bushy-haired genius turned on heel and swept away as Harry whined after her about how his spleen wasn't on display for all manner of perverts to gawk at.

The night before the Second Task was to take place, Harry lay in his bed staring up at it's overhanging canopy while Ron was off having a shower and the others already asleep. He had studied almost everything the school had to offer in its library, and he had searched the depths of Black Lake several times over the past month, but even still he hadn't found anything that was to help him with the task. Nothing in the lake but aquatics, sunken old stuff like lost treasure, and a giant squid. Nothing in the library to suggest it had ever been otherwise. Still, Harry got the feeling that he was missing something, which was what the clue had been from the First task.

But he wasn't missing anything. Everything he owned was accounted for.

Harry rolled over onto his side with a long suffering groan. The stupid task made no sense, and Ron had yet to come back to the room so Harry could whine about it. In fact, Hermione had been called away while the trio were lounging in the common room. Apparently the Arithmancy professor found something wrong with Hermione's last assignment, and so had called the brainy girl to her office in order to be sure it was merely a slip-up on someone else's part. Harry should have known though, Hermione never got anything wrong. It simply had to be someone else's fault if there was even one red mark on the girl's parchment.

When Ron had yet to return to the room twenty minutes later, Harry grew worried, and had been about to use his X-ray vision to be sure his longtime friend hadn't fallen asleep in the shower… _again_. He only paused when about to do so when Ron suddenly appeared in the doorway, and without preamble flopped down onto his bed and into a deep snoring slumber which had all their roommates groaning in their own sleeps.

With a click of his tongue, Harry sprawled out across his bed as he resumed his staring up at the canopy again. Figures…

* * *

When Harry awoke the following morning, he could sense something wasn't right before he even opened his eyes. He was always the first to awaken within his dorm, but something wasn't right.

It was quiet… _too_ quiet…

Harry bolted upright in bed when he realized that he couldn't hear Ron's insistent and obnoxious snoring. Looking toward his best friend's bed, Harry saw that the curtains were drawn and that Ron was strangely absent. But that couldn't be right. Ron never woke up as early as Harry did. Almost no one within Hogwarts got up before noon on a day they had no classes. Especially not Ron! And even worst was that all the others seemed to have disappeared, too!

Allowing himself to calm down and think rationally, Harry got out of bed with a deep breath and quickly dressed himself in a pair of jeans and shirts before he pocketed his fake glasses. Using his X-ray vision to scope out the downstairs, Harry hovered an inch off the ground so no one would hear him as he quietly floated down the stairs and into the empty common room. Glancing up into the girl's side of the dorm, Harry saw with an astonished look that Hermione too was missing from her bed, and that it appeared she had not even bothered to change as her school robes were still folded neatly at the foot of her bed where they normally were placed for when the girl awoke the next day. All the other girls were gone as well as Harry found himself dreading the reason for everyone's sudden disappearance.

Growing steadily more worried, Harry continued to use his sight to evade spying eyes as he swooped through the castle and down to the Great hall. Seeing that no one was within the dining hall where breakfast should have been served hot and plenty, Harry allowed his sight to extend pass the castle and out onto the grounds.

Imagine his surprise when he found something at the lake that hadn't been there when he had fallen asleep.

This new addition to the lake was a large dock that had been erected lakeside, and the other Champions had already arrived with Cedric just getting there as Harry watched the Hufflepuff bend over with his hands on his knees and out of breath while Harry was still in the Great Hall watching them with his supervision.

"Last as usual I suppose…" Harry said to himself as he searched the crowds of people for his friends, but never spotting them. And for some reason, he could not see beyond the surface waters of the lake no matter how hard he concentrated his X-ray vision.

There was only one person who could make his superpowers useless and Harry could only thing of one reason why.

"Dumbledore, what have you done…?" Harry muttered to himself as he bolted around the back of the castle and came full circle until he arrived in an inhuman blur to stop serenely by a tree not far from the dock.

"Ah, Harry! Good to see you." Dumbledore said while beaming as Harry stepped away from the tree and toward the dock. "We've a good five minutes before the Second Task is to begin and I was just about to brief everyone on what they shall need to do."

"So it wasn't a precious possession, but a precious person that was stolen, and now we have to retrieve those taken from us from the lake." Harry said, crossing his arms and scowling as Dumbledore continued to beam at him.

"Ah, very good, Harry. Yes, indeed, that is what your Second Task shall be." Dumbledore said as he turned to face the other three Champions, "You will need to dive down to the city deep within this lake where the resident merpeople live. There, you will find your targets. You must free the one who corresponds to you and return with him or her within the time limit."

Harry blew out a sigh as he stared down into the water. "I think I'd rather fight the Horntail again…" Harry muttered dispassionately to himself.

Cedric patted him on the shoulder as he approached, "I think I'd be willing to join you. What temperature do you reckon the water is?"

"Just warm enough that it hasn't frozen over yet." Harry gauged after a moment's hesitation, "If any of us escape this without getting sick somehow, it'll be a miracle."

"Right you are, Harry." Cedric agreed with a nod, "Well, at least the Third Task won't be until near the end of term. We'll have plenty of time to recover."

"Yes, well, excuse me if that doesn't set my mind at ease." Harry said, scowling again.

"What's eating away at you?" Cedric asked as Harry sighed.

"Sorry, but when I woke up, I thought something terrible had happened when our hormonally teenaged-filled school was so suddenly a ghost town." Harry admitted curtly as Cedric shrugged.

"They must have put charms on us so we wouldn't wake up until a certain time while everyone else was called out." Cedric guessed, "Because when I was coming down here the other two were just arriving."

"That makes sense." Harry said, though mentally added: "_Especially since Dumbledore knows that I'm still affected by magic_."

"Oh well, for the best anyway." Cedric said, leaning in over Harry's shoulder, "Between you and me, I'm sorta glad Cho isn't around up here. It's kinda hard not to stare at the Veela girl in that."

Glancing over to where Fleur was, Harry raised an eyebrow as he found the girl had shed her school robes in favor of a skimpy swimsuit.

Harry snorted. "Be a real man and resist a little temptation. Though I have to admit that she wears those two lines of fabric well."

"Very well," Cedric said, secretly slapping Harry five when no one was looking.

"It's such a shame that I already sorta have a girlfriend… and that I'm practically engaged…" Harry said with a solemn sigh as Cedric gave him a curious look.

"You? Engaged?" Cedric asked as Harry nodded happily.

"Oh yes!" Harry chirped with an odd sort of smile, "Engaged to my blushing bride Draco Malfoy. You will be at the wedding, won't you?"

Cedric gave him an odd and bewildered look before shaking his head. "Harry, mate, sometimes you take a joke too seriously. But yes, I'll be at your wedding. Now who's this almost-girlfriend of yours?"

"Hmm? Oh, Luna Lovegood!" Harry said, this time with sincerity in his voice, "We had a great time at the Yule Ball together, and even before then. We haven't seen much of each other this last month, but we've talked a few times."

"She's the loony one, right?" Cedric asked. It was only because Cedric was nice and barely knew Luna did Harry let the comment slide as he nodded in conformation, "Okay then. She's in Cho's house. I'll talk to Cho and we'll see what we can do to help."

"You're a saint." Harry said as Cedric nudged him in the arm, Harry giving with the action to ensure Cedric didn't snap his wrist.

"It's nothing, man. Besides, you'd do the same for me." Cedric said as Harry smiled at him.

Changing the topic from his love life, Harry sighed once again as he glanced to where Dumbledore was talking in shushed tones to the other judges. "I have to admit, I'm a bit angry they just decided to lob the people we care about into the freezing cold lake. There had better be some serious charms on them to keep them unconscious, warm, and breathing." Harry muttered while crossing his arms again.

"Ah, I doubt there's any serious risk." Cedric said, peering into the dark lake waters, "We do have an hour to get them back, after all. And they've already been down there awhile, I guess."

"I really wish I wasn't in this tournament." Harry said, shaking his head, "There are so many other, better, things I could be doing with my time."

"Like what?" Cedric asked curiously.

"Like finally sitting down, and glancing over my family's finances and financial stuff." Harry said as Cedric flinched back.

"Sorry, Harry, but I'd rather be in this lake than pouring over that stuff." Cedric said defiantly with a shake of his head. "My dad made me sit down with him in his office at the beginning of the summer while we did that. Said it would help me when I got out of school, and that I'd have to take over the responsibility someday. I'm just glad he decided to go to the Quidditch World Cup this summer, or else I might have died from boredom and arithmetic."

"Yes, well," Harry sniffed, "you have your night terrors, I have mine. I'd rather like to look at what my parents had a hand in."

"I didn't mean-" Cedric started, feeling as though he might have accidentally said something wrong, but Harry stopped him.

"Don't worry, it's just that my parents left me rich, and I have no clue what to do with all the money." Harry said, grinning at Cedric, who now looked a bit jealous.

"If you say so, Moneybags…" Cedric muttered as Harry flicked him, making Cedric clutch his arm in slight pain. It was like a grown man had slugged him!

"That's _Sir Lord Richington Wealthmore Moneybags the Third_ to you, peasant." Harry proclaimed in a boisterous tone.

"If you say so… Richie Rich…" Cedric muttered as Harry flicked him again. "Ouch! And stop that! It really hurts!"

"Peasants, always complaining about the pains of the common life…" Harry said in a somber tone as he shook his head in mock-disgust.

* * *

When it was time for the Task to begin, Dumbledore gathered the four Champions up and began to explain. "You will each start at the same time. You will line up at the edge of the dock and when the signal is given, you may begin. The things you face on your trip include overcoming the cold, facing what lurks in the lake, and, of course, returning within the hour time limit. Points will be awarded for speed and ingenuity in overcoming your obstacles. Now then, line up!"

The Champions did as they were told, with Harry and Cedric finally kicking off their shoes and removing their shirts. Neither of them were as foolish as Fleur or Krum were. Those two had apparently arrived ready to begin swimming and had had to stand around in the chilly morning air. Though Harry couldn't feel the cold on his skin, the ability to see his breath when he stood at the edge of the dock gave him an idea of just how cold the air around them was.

"Nothing like giving the peanut gallery something to stare at, eh?" Harry muttered, his ears picking up on a flock of girls screaming from somewhere in the stands while another group were whispering about the three males.

"Not so different from other days, yeah?" Krum asked with a smirk as he glanced at Harry. The two had chatted at the Yule Ball, and sometimes onward due to the male's budding friendship with Hermione.

"Just as well you aren't facing them, Krum." Cedric said with a smirk of his own, "You're red as a beet."

"As your people say; stuff a yak in it, Diggory." Krum said as Harry snorted.

"That's a sock." Harry corrected as Krum blinked.

"What's a sock?" Krum asked in confusion as Harry simply ignored it.

"I feel bad for 'ou boys." Fleur joined in, "It is I zat shall vin zis task."

"Only if we all have severe nosebleeds…" Harry muttered as Fleur caught his words.

"Zhat can be arranged." Fleur assured with a beautiful grin and seductive wink while Harry rolled his eyes. Honestly, the extremely beautiful people just thought they owned the world…

The signal was the same as it had been in the First Task - a canon being poorly fired by Filch. And when it was heard, the four all leapt in, breaking the tranquil surface of the lake with their wild splashes. Krum and Fleur immediately vanished under the surface, and Cedric was quick to follow.

Harry pulled his wand from his back pocket for show, muttering nonsense under his breath before he took shot under the calm and into the depths.

Since flying was so similar to swimming, Harry found that he moved like a bullet through the murky waters of the lake in search of his friends. Attempting to his enhanced vision, however, proved to be practically useless as he was unable to see any further than he normally could.

"_Of course Dumbledore wouldn't let me get by easily. That just wouldn't be fair sportsmanship_…" Harry thought as he looked around, "_Maybe I can hear the direction the others are traveling in, and use them as a sort of sonar to find my target_."

The lake seemed far deeper than Harry had ever seen when he searched it innumerous times previous to the day. Had the judges and Dumbledore done something to make it more challenging? Or did it only seem so vast now that his super-vision was blocked? Indeed, it seemed their was a new addition to the lake as Harry found a large hole opened up in what he figured was the bottom, leading further and further down. He was amazed that it wasn't getting much darker as he descended, the light filtering in through the hole certainly couldn't have illuminated the waters that much. It wasn't until Harry paused to look around that he noticed the glowing lanterns littering the aquatic landscape.

They were stuck in rocks and in the lakebed, hanging from up above and forced into rocky crags. It didn't seem natural at all to Harry. In fact, the further Harry descended, the more alien the landscape became. By the time he crested over a ridge and the city of the merpeople came into view, Harry had had to fight several tiny imp-like creatures that seemed to want nothing more than to take a bite out of his face.

Harry found that his theory was proven right as he fought with the vicious little creatures. The lake must have been vastly altered as he finger-flicked another attacker into the cavern wall where it flooded unconscious. He certainly wasn't going to use his wand to do much of anything while so far down. Admittedly, he hadn't ever _needed _to use his wand underwater before, but perhaps there was a trick to it he wasn't thinking about.

"_Into Atlantis you go_…" Harry thought as he shot forward and into the city of the merpeople. The center of town had a large statue of one of the merpeople in it and had an amazing number of lights surrounding it, which made everything else look strangely eerie.

Mermen started to swim up and around him, clutching tridents and making threatening gestures towards him. But with a threatening display of his own, in which he grabbed a rock formation and crushed it in his bare hand, the creatures backed off slightly. They still followed him down to the tail of the giant statue, where the four targets were tied up.

Harry was surprised to be the first to arrive, especially since he had been following the direction the others had been heading. He did, however, note that he could no longer her Fleur's petite strokes through the waters nor her gasps for breath as she must have used some sort of charm to breathe air underwater.

However, Harry even more surprised when he saw Luna tied up on the long tail of the statue. She was at the far end of the statue with Gabrielle Delacour next to her. Beside the petite young French girl was Cho Chang in the center. And, closest to him, was Hermione. Harry's eyes widened as he locked onto Luna, wondering exactly why the eccentric blond beauty was down in the deep to be rescued. If he were honest with himself, he'd have to rank at number five on his list of school friends he'd value most. Though he did suppose that it wasn't exactly the people they valued the most of their friends, but the one that had been most evident at the Yule Ball.

"_But then_," Harry thought as he crossed his arms and sat cross-legged in the middle of the waters, "_Wouldn't Fleur's person be Roger Davis… or something like that? Why did they pick her sister? Is it because they're in school together? But that would indicate that our Headmasters picked the people we needed to rescue. If that were true, then… Ugh_!" Harry shook his head in frustration, grasping at his hair, "_Note to self: stay away from Bruce. He makes me overanalyze things that don't matter in the slightest_."

Calming himself as he nearly took a deep breath, Harry once again glanced over the four prisoners. They appeared to be sleeping quite soundly despite the situation they were presently within. Harry was pleased to see that they all seemed to be breathing properly, as bubbles would come from their mouths every so often. That had to be Dumbledore's work, as he knew the charm to breath underwater comfortably was extremely difficult and a touch tricky.

Harry decided to inspect the four from every angle he could before deciding who he had to rescue between Luna and Hermione. Swimming around the four, Harry saw that each was perfectly fine as they swayed with the gentle drift of the waters around them. Taking another moment to decide as he got back into his thinking position, Harry was just about to reach for his intended when behind him the me people were making some kind of ruckus.

Whirling around and almost shouting for them to pipe down, Harry found his brow raising as an odd sight greeted him. There was Krum, looking as though he had battled a shark right before slicing off its face and using it as his personal breathing apparatus. While Harry knew what the spell was and what it was supposed to do, he deeply suspected that Krum was not an Outstanding-level student in Transfiguration as Harry found himself baffled by just how badly Krum seemed to have performed the spell.

Then, swimming just behind the fishy foreigner was Cedric, who looked to have a giant bubble encasing his head. The strange thing wasn't even the fact that they were fighting, spinning to face one another as they shot blasts from their wands. To be perfectly honest, the blasts were little more than them firing clouds of bubbles out at one another. No, the strange part was the fact that they were _still_ fighting at all, even after they saw Harry sitting cross-legged in front the four prisoners, his arms crossed as he watched them with a blank expression. They looked at him, blinked once or twice, then went right back to shooting bubbles at each other.

When the two got within range of the statue and Harry, they cut their targets loose and started to ascend.

That was exactly when the two turned their wands on Harry as he quirked a brow.

Well now, that just wasn't fair…

Harry swam around their spells as he mocked them with his different swimming forms. Krum seemed to get frustrated with the fact that he couldn't hit Harry while Cedric appeared to greatly enjoy the prospect that he could fire at a moving target like Harry. Swimming directly up to the two, Harry swirled as he bypassed them, going between them as they almost fired at one another before shooting the grinning Potter an unimpressed glare for trying such cartoon tactics. Harry gave a shrug as Krum once again raised his wand, but Cedric stayed his hand, shaking his encased bubble head as he knew it would be better to simply let it go for the moment. Harry was swimming circles around them, and Cedric for a fact that the dark-haired boy could practically do so on a broom in midair.

Fast little bugger, but Cedric and Krum knew one day he would slip up, and then he'd have pink hair for the rest of the week. Heh, heh…

Harry watched as Cedric gave him an oddly devious look as he swam off with the ascending Cho Chang. Then Krum took Hermione with an air of decisiveness while Harry watched them go, wondering briefly why he hadn't yet rescued someone and started back himself. Glancing back to the statue and the sleeping forms of Luna and Gabrielle Delacour, he started listening to the waters in the hope that the girl's sister was close by so Harry could move on with a clear conscience.

But he could not hear Fleur within the waters at all, and the girl never came.

Knowing the time limit was probably running on the low side, Harry scowled as he resumed his thinking pose. Something must have happened to Fleur, Harry figured. Cursing his 'saving people complex' as his friends and Draco termed it, Harry nearly gave a sigh of exasperation as he floated over to the two remaining victims.

Using his heat vision was out of the question, Harry found as he tried to focus on Gabrielle's bonds, but got zero results. Taking matters in another approach as he took Luna's ropes in his hands. Harry bit the ropes with his teeth, tears through them like watery bread as he took Luna underarm and swam towards Gabrielle. The mermen surrounding the statue aimed their tridents at Harry as he drew closer. But the look in his glowing red eyes and the fact that he had crushed sea stone under his bear grip reminded them once again that they were no match for him as they backed off.

While he knew Dumbledore would allow no harm to befall the young French girl, Harry still wasn't convinced the little girl needed to stay in what simply had to be a freezing cold lake for any longer than necessary just because her sister couldn't get to her. As Harry gave the girl's bonds an overdramatic karate-chop, he smirked as he took her over his right shoulder while securing his hold on Luna under his left arm.

* * *

Carefully holding onto each girl as not to crush them and have the waters run red with their blood and guts, Harry let loose a manageable burst of speed and began heading for the lake's surface again. At the rate he was going, the girls were save for travel and he could probably even beat the others back to the surface. Besides, the stupid tournament be damned if they thought he would leave some pre-teen girl alone underwater with the me people. Honestly, have you seen the me people? They were sickly looking creatures with greyish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks as necklaces. They had powerful, silver fishtails that allowed them to swim expertly, while the upper parts of their bodies resemble that of nauseated humans. Then some of the little buggers were tall! The one he had met earlier had been at least seven feet in height with a long green beard and a choker of shark fangs while he carried a spear.

In fact, Harry was passing that particular merman right then. The merman narrowed his eyes at Harry, pointing his spear at the boy while his green beard swirled in the waters. Harry tried to shoot right pass the giant merperson, but with thinking of the girls safety, the merman was able to stab at Harry as he reflexively released the girls as soon as his eyes caught sight of electricity arching its way toward him.

Only once before had Harry experienced the tinge of electricity passing through his body. He had been about four years-old while Dudley had been five. The two were playing in the hallway while Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were talking with some other parents as the couple had left their son in Harry and Dudley's care only after the mother of the child had insisted despite Uncle Vernon's initial disagreement. The boy, named Marcus, had gotten the two into a game of wall spider where they would crawl their fingers up the wall before the boy could wack them with the rolled-up bit of newspaper. When the boy had gotten the laughing Harry, he had accidentally knocked Harry's hand into the nearby and exposed power outlet within the house. That day, Harry felt a small tingle pass through him for a moment before he jerked back his hand from the odd sensation. Not even bothered too deeply by the occurrence, Harry, Dudley, and the boy Marcus had simply went back to playing while Harry had subconsciously scooted away from the outlet.

Today, Harry screamed out a burst of air bubbles as the shock he experienced from the merman's spear was altogether more painful and a thousand times worse. The lighting arched through him, and Harry's eyes were as wide as they could have gone as he could feel the electricity coursing through every cell within his body all at once. When the spear was pulled from him, and the initial torture was over, Harry saw a thin veil of red sail past his vision from where he had been poked. Looking down to where the trail was coming from, Harry felt his eyes widen again as he tried hard to keep his mouth shut and regain some semblance of breath.

He was bleeding… He, the mighty man from another planet who could crush coal into diamonds on a good day, was bleeding from a simple spear poke administered by a fishman. Even worse, he had felt a pain like never before, as though all his nerves had been set aflame in that one shock. He was bleeding, and Harry knew that by the look on the merman's face, he planned to try again to see if it were not just a lucky break on his part.

Harry, however, did not plan to give him the chance as he caught his second wind. Taking the spear as it was jabbed at him, Harry snapped it within his grip before he punched the merman, sending the poor creature flying backward toward his merperson city.

Harry gave a sigh as he could still feel the faint tingles of the electricity within him. Every few seconds he would have a weak spasm as he swam to the two girls and retook them. As he headed back over the ridge in the rocks he had passed over earlier, Harry gave one final glance back at the city before pushing upward again, subconsciously having eyed the broken spear with a bit of wariness and fear. Harry was sure that despite his earlier curiosity, he would not be returning to the underwater city any time soon after his experience there.

Harry could feel the light of the sun before he even saw it. The warmth reached him like that of a candle in the freezing cold, piercing the slight haze Harry had not realized he had been in ever since he had descended into the dark waters. Light was coming through the hole in the lakebed, and though it wasn't much, it felt as though someone had draped a security blanket over his shoulders warming him as he basked in the warmth with no hesitation nor shame.

He broke the surface of the water barely a minute later, bursting from the waters like a flying fish as he went with the motion and sailed toward the docks in order was to quickly get the two girls out of the cold water. His skin dried quickly as his hair seemed to shimmer in the light of midday. Thankfully, everyone in the stands took his incredible leap of acrobatics as a show for them as they all clapped and cheered while some of the more unimpressed, as in Draco and his Slytherin cohorts, began chanting "Fishboy Potter" with much mirth. As Harry gentle laid the two girls out, he gave abow to the Slytherins as Draco cried out for someone to toss him a ball so his next trick could be balancing the orb atop his nose.

When he was sure the girls were proper, Harry allowed himself to flop down onto the wood planks of the docks as he basked once again in the delicious rays of the sun. He stretched out on his back and groaned, not taking notice of how he drew looks of curiosity from the crowds in his thoughts for a good cup of tea and some warm biscuits fresh from the oven.

Harry really hoped Dobby felt up for serving him some at such short notice.

"Did you have a pleasant swim, Harry?" came Luna's airy voice as Harry tilted his head up and smiled. While her clothes were being dried quickly with a spell from her wand, another Ravenclaw had come down to transfigure the blond a towel for her hair.

"Yeah, it was good." Harry said, resuming his sunbathing with great vigor. "I got to see Mer-City, so I guess I owe you one for being kept prisoner down there."

"You're welcome, Harry." Luna said as the Ravenclaw boy left while adults and others came toward them. "Did you save her as well?" Luna gestured to the still sleeping girl on the docks.

"I did." Harry breathed, "It didn't feel right leaving her down there when I saw that Fleur wasn't coming. I'm guessing the waters cold."

"It is." Luna nodded seriously. "They should have really made it warmer, but I guess dealing with the temperature was just another challenge."

"It might have been…" Harry muttered, not having thought of it that way.

"Your clothes are still wet." Luna said, looking Harry over as she stood over him. "You might want to start shivering. Madam Pomfrey's coming this way."

"Hmm… five more minutes…" Harry muttered as he curled up on his side and pretended to sleep as he closed his eyes peacefully.

* * *

Harry allowed himself to be tugged up after hearing the raving med witch complain about his sleeping when he was so obviously cold and wet. The school matron dried his clothes as she muttered about how seriously sick Harry could have gotten from not coming to her immediately. Pulling him to his feet rather abruptly and strongly even against him, the stern nurse of Hogwarts thrust a potion into his chest, one that would warm him up from the inside out. Afterward, he had been dragged to the medical tent to be looked over by spells for five entire minutes before he was deemed good enough to be allowed to leave the infirmary tent.

"Those people and that woman are so fussy…" Harry muttered as he threw on his now dry shirt. "Honestly, it was just a little dip in the lake. You'd think I'd ran out and hugged an iceberg while naked…"

"You might still experience that, Har." a voice cut in as Harry turned to see Cedric making his way over to him with Krum, Hermione, Ron, and Luna close behind.

"Yo, what's up?" Harry called out, giving his friends a two finger salute.

"Only you, mate…" Ron shook his head, recalling such a "boy scout" greeting from Wally West, the Kid Flash.

"So what was the final score?" Harry asked, cutting through the banter immediately as Cedric shrugged.

"Well firstly, Fleur came back up. She had this really nasty cut on her right arm and was twitching a lot apparently. So she was disqualified. Krum and me almost arrived back at the same time-"

"But Cedric got more points due to Krum's spell looking like rubbish." Ron cut in, grinning and giving the Hufflepuff champion a thumbs-up while Krum crossed his arms over his broad chest whilst giving Ron his best Bulgarian glare.

"At least I am, as you say, luke warm." Krum muttered as Hermione patted his shoulder, an action which caused Ron to shoot Weasley glares at the foreigner.

"It's hot, Krum. Hot." Hermione corrected, not noticing the way Krum smirked at Ron, who growled back as both saw Hermione run her hand up and down Krum's muscular arm absently for a few moments.

"Anyways," Cedric went on, him, Luna and Harry turning from the oblivious girl and the two boys practically brawling over her, "You, Harry, came in past the time limit."

"So I was disqualified?" Harry asked hopefully, to which Cedric chuckled.

"No!" Cedric chirped happily as Harry's hopeful face dropped. "You don't get off that easy around here with Dumbledore always willing to twist something bad into an act of good."

"Oh Rao," Harry groaned, placing his head in his hands as he covered his face.

"Yup," Cedric chirped once again. "Dumbledore and the crowd thought it was really nice of you to save the other girl. Dumbledore convinced the other judges to reluctantly award you points. Just enough to tie with me for first place."

"Damn him…"

"Cheer up, Harry." Luna said, patting Harry's shoulder. "You were very sweet in not wanting to leave the little girl behind."

"And for that, I thank you." came the tired-sounding, thick-accented voice from behind the group.

Turning, Harry and his friends saw that it was Fleur who had spoken as she approached, being helped along by her little sister Gabrielle. Harry's eyes softened in concern as he saw the large bandage which was wrapped around most of the elder Delacour's right arm and she seemed to have a nasty bruise around her left eye.

"You don't look so hot." Harry said, his joking tone not hiding his concern for the girl, "What happened?"

"I was attacked," Fleur stated simply with a shrug and twinge of pain at the casual action. "Ze blood attracted more of ze filthy little vermin. I was starting to feel lightheaded."

"Are you okay now?" Harry asked as Fleur nodded, not meeting his gaze but occasionally looking up at him as her cheeks colored.

"Zhank you for saving my sister Gabrielle…" Fleur muttered, "And for bringing her back to me."

Harry shook his head. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. Besides, she wasn't in any real danger in the first place."

"Yes, but still you saved her, and zat is all zat matters." Fleur said firmly.

Harry shrugged lightly, "I had been wondering what happened. I saw Krum and Cedric get there and waited for you to show up, but-"

Hermione and Ron looked gob-stopped.

"You got there _first_?" Ron asked, his voice gone high-pitched.

"Harry! You could have won!" Hermione shouted as she swatted his arm.

Fleur gave Harry a piercing look, and before he knew it, the girl had crossed the small distance between them and kissed him right on the lips. Harry's eyes widened, not wanting to rude enough to back away from the overzealous girl as he simply allowed her to do whatever. Looking around at the others, Harry saw their different range of expressions. Hermione, Cedric and Krum looked nothing but shocked and surprised. Ron looked murderous toward him. Gabrielle glared daggers into her sister's back trying to burn a hole into her. Luna seemed to not even notice the kissing as she was too busy quirking a blond brow at Gabrielle's murderous expression. Then Luna looked over and both her eyebrows lifted only a bit before Luna began to giggle at the look in Harry's eyes.

When the kiss was over, Fleur leaned away from Harry, a trail of saliva breaking between them as Harry wondered when the domineering girl had slipped him the tongue without his notice.

"I will be zeeing you around later, yes, Harry Potter?" Fleur said as Harry blinked, his mind a bit fuzzy from what had just occurred.

"Huh? Umm… yeah, wee wee." Harry said, a lidded look to him as he tried to focus while Fleur strolled away in confidence back to her sister, whom she gave a tight hug which caused the younger Delacour to blink in surprise.

"Zhank you again, Harry Potter." Fleur said, winking back at him as she held onto her sister. "Perhaps I was wrong to call you a little boy the night we were named Champions. I believe… that I have not acted as I should have zis year, no?"

Harry smiled at the Delacour sisters, offering them a view of his pearly white teeth. "Well, that doesn't matter. You haven't been so terrible to me, and I'm glad to see that you cherish your family. Maybe we just got off on the wrong foot, but now we'll start fresh."

"I would like that very much." Fleur agreed as she and Harry nodded to one another.

"Then join us for some late brunch." Luna suggested as Fleur pondered it for a moment before taking in the hopeful look on her sister's face.

"That sounds wonderful," Fleur said slowly, pronouncing her words. Harry smiled once again, wrapping an arm around Luna's shoulder as the group began to head back to the castle.

Harry glanced over at the dock and the stands, seeing that no one was lingering around as everyone made their way up to the castle. It was really no surprise, seeing that breakfast had to have been cancelled in order for the Second Task to have such an early start. Looking back at the Delacour sisters as they talked at length with Hermione, Cedric and Krum (while Ron drooled over them), Harry found that it was good to reach out in friendship to others. He wondered briefly that if he had done so from his first year in Hogwarts, just how many friends would he have? Could he have made friends with the Slytherins? Could he have brought the school closer?

Was he secretly becoming a Hufflepuff? Glancing back at Cedric, Harry imagined that had he still had his parents, he most likely would have been something like the older and fair boy.

"You're fine just the way you are," Luna said, breaking Harry's thoughts as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Harry breathed, resting his head atop Luna's cranium, "I know…"

* * *

"It would seem that your plans aren't working as quickly as you'd hope." an arrogant voice sneered as a masked woman, the masked woman, stepped forth from the shadows.

"Patience, young Draco Malfoy." the masked woman said, "All good things come to those that wait."

"You've said so before." Draco sneered, his face drawn into a scowl.

"And I will most likely do so again."

"Yes, but its supposed to be working faster than this." Draco growled as the masked woman waved him aside dismissively.

"It only quickens with the more time to spend in his direct company." she explained, "It responses to your presence. Trust me, I've done it to many a gentlemen in my day to get what I want."

"And what about his friends?"

"They're of little concern to me."

"They suspect something. Especially Granger and Lovegood. Now he's got that fool Diggory around him as well as others."

"Again: they are of little to no concern to me or our plans."

"And what about your… associates?" Draco asked, his blond brow lifted as the masked woman seemed to grow closed to him.

"Those two will simply have to wait for their fun." she hissed in a cold tone as the temperature in the room dropped. "My son comes first and foremost."

"Touchy, touchy are we?" Draco teased with a cutting smirk as the woman seemed to glare behind her mask.

"Fine." she hissed. "If you're so impatience as you and my son cannot wait, then I'll simply have to… speed up the reaction with… a catalyze, of sorts."

"Catalyze?" Draco echoed in confusion.

"Yes, dear Draconis." Draco could practically hear the smile in her voice. "There are a myriad of people to manipulate into doing my bidding. An endless number of beings willing to serve for one reason or another. A quite a few who would gladly destroy your precious Potter in order to be granted their hearts' desires."

"I at least need that moron alive if nothing else." Draco growled as the woman smirked deviously behind her face mask.

"I know you do, dear sweet Draco." she mocked as he glared icily at her. "But first we must break him before you can remake him. And I know just the woman for the job…"

With those words, the masked woman slipped back into the shadows where she disappeared, leaving Draco to wonder if his cohorting with such a nefarious woman was really worth it. Then Draco's face turned into a vicious grin. The status, the wealth, the power, the glory.

Oh yes, it would be well worth it in the end.


End file.
